Something Wicked This Way Comes
by TaraneePheonix
Summary: Pogue's ascension. Reid's addiction. A dark secret from Tyler's past. An overly curious new teacher. Looks like trouble for the boys. Rating may go up due to eventual scenes of graphic torture. Caleb/Pogue Pogue/Kate Reid/Tyler  Joking Sarah/Kate
1. The End is only the Beginning

I do not own the covenant. This fanfiction is based on an RP I did with a few friends of mine. Loosely, I had to change some stuff.

_Friday 3rd November, 2006_

"Don't move." Her voice is silky smooth but it has an undercurrent of danger, of a past too long to remember, of warning. Her eyes glitter with the same danger but her eyes are not where mine are. My eyes are trained on her overly pale hand, clutching the equally pale throat of my brother. "Don't think about trying anything either because I am far more confident in my ability to snap his neck like a twig before you can do anything to me."

"What do you want?" Only people that know him can hear the strained, worried undertone of my other brother's voice as he speaks from just in front of me.

"I want to walk out of here. No catches. Out of this school, out of your lives and you'll never see me again." I feel a persuasion wash over me and I know it's her doing but at the same time I can't seem to shake it. We need to give her what she wants.

"And let you kill other people? I don't think so." He's stronger than I give him credit for to resist her like that.

The same thought seems to cross her mind. "I'll kill him here and now if you want. I could kill you all before you could blink." Which begs the question why hasn't she? I don't doubt her ability, so why is she holding a hostage?

Her grip tightens on his neck and from my side I feel the tension rolling off my other brother as he steps forward. "No! We'll give you what you want. Just let him go." I question his motives, his eye catches mine and I see something I thought I'd never see there. Fear.

She smiles, her too perfect teeth flashing in the light. "Good boy." It's almost a purr. "Do yourselves a favour. Don't try and find me again, or I will kill you." With that she pushes her hostage at us with too much force, he stumbles and we all dive to catch him, by the time we look up she's gone. I wince as I regain my footing. That move may have re-cracked my rib. Dammit.

I sense a worried gaze on my face even though I'm not looking at him. "I'm fine." I've been saying that a lot recently, maybe if I say it enough it'll start to be true. I avoid his gaze and turn away, walking towards my room. I hear him following me. The others will want a moment then they'll be right behind us. That's how it always is. That's how it always will be. I just hope they don't end up like me and as I glance back at them I know in my heart I would never let that happen. That this needs to end. But how am I supposed to know where to begin?


	2. A Night Out

Covenant - Still not mine. Or there would have been serious on screen slash.

_Saturday 14th October, 2006_

Three days since I'd gotten out of the hospital, which made it two weeks since Chase's attack on the fall fest., it also meant it was seven days until my birthday and with a little luck and a lot of magic I'd finally be back to full health by then. It was easier now I was out of the hospital to heal a little fast than medicine could explain. There was no-one but my brothers watching my every move. That and Kate but of course that was a non issue too now. She'd come to visit me in the hospital. I'd told her everything.

-Flashback-

_"No!" I'd cried, shooting up in bed after coming out of a bad dream, pulling on the wires in my chest causing a gasp to escape my mouth as pain shot through me, also causing strain on my throat which Chase had so helpfully crushed. Then she'd appeared in the doorway, not long awake herself but looking like an angel . _

_"Pogue. Easy baby, lay back down." She walked over to my bedside and I'd complied with her wishes, laying down and consenting just to look her over for a moment. She was alive. That was what mattered, Chase's spell had worn off when he'd vanished. _

_"Baby." I'd gasped out, my injured throat protesting painfully. I didn't care. I had to talk to her. "Are you okay?" She looked better and clearly her condition was no longer critical but I wanted to hear her say it. "I love you." I told her before she could get another word out._

_She'd sighed and slipped her hand into mine. "Baby." She wasn't exactly admonishing but she wasn't pleased either. "You don't have to talk, it's okay." Little did she know just how much I did have to talk to her, I had so much to tell her. "I love you too." _

_How could she? When she didn't even know me? I had to tell her who I really was, that it was my fault she was here, my fault she'd gotten hurt. "Kate-" Oh, it hurt to talk but I had to keep going. "-I have to- have to tell you something." My voice was hoarse and broken at best. She was giving me a look, like she wanted me to stop before I hurt myself but I refused to back down. "You're not gonna like it...and- you might not believe it but I have to tell you." I lifted my good hand, the other throbbed painfully under the bandages, and brushed my fingers over a few of the bite marks that were still there. There was no venom left, that didn't mean the marks had quite finished disappearing yet. "My fault." I confessed quietly, so quietly I was unsure if she'd heard me or not. So I spoke again, a little louder, "These are my fault." She was going to think I was delusional I was sure. "I-I lied. Wh-en you asked about our families and the witch trials. I lied." I took a deep breath to swallow the cough I could feel rising in my throat. "It's- It's not nonsense. It's true. All of it. I-I'm a witch. A male witch. Cay...Ty...'n' Reid too. A-And Chase. He wasn't supposed to be- but he was and he was- evil. We didn't know. The bites are - spell. He put it on you to- get to me. I-I'm not crazy. Please believe me." Now she knew him, she wasn't going to love him anymore though._

_I watched her as she gave tiny nods in time with my speech and then seemed to consider it for what felt like a very long time as her thumb rubbed circles over my hand. At least she hadn't just dropped my hand and run away from me. Then she did what I'd thought was impossible. She leaned over, pressed her lips to my hair and gently said "I believe you, Baby."_

_I looked at her. She still looked edgy. This called for desperate measures. I took her hand and ever so gently pressed his lips to each of the bite marks that lay there, healing them each time. "Believe me." I repeated, then looked up at her. "You can't tell anyone. It's a secret." I warned her. _

_Her eyes were wide and she looked scared, but who could blame her? The look was gone in a moment and I didn't dare dream think about what was going through her head. Then she put her hand to my head and started to simply stroke my hair and that simple gesture of comfort had me relaxing into her touch within seconds. "Th-that's k-kinda cool." I pretended not to notice her stutter. That was understandable. "I won't tell anyone. I promise but you've got to be quiet, you'll hurt yourself more." Then she handed me a glass of water and as I sipped I watched her and I knew that everything was going to be alright._

-End Flashback-

Of course the subject of my ascension had had to be breached because it was exactly a week away. My brothers and I had discussed it. We were going out to the colony house an hour beforehand and they were going to sit with me. I'd got the time of my birth from my mom. Kate had asked if I would be available afterwords for a party but Caleb had waved the idea off, claiming I'd be too tired which was fine by me. I guessed I would be tired and I guessed that my brothers wanted to keep the occasion special. Just the sons of Ipswich. I wouldn't deny them that. Not after the disaster at Caleb's ascension. No, mine would go smoothly. Surrounded by my family to see me through a difficult time. I mean, there was no way it could come even close to be as worse as Caleb's. What with me in hospital and a psycho who wanted Cay's powers so badly he injured my girlfriend, tortured me and then kidnapped Sarah.

My mind flickered to where Chase could be, he'd vanished in a burst of flame, or so I'd heard but there'd been no body found. It should probably have been worrying me but it wasn't. Sure it was my ascension and sure if he wasn't dead he'd want power still but- I don't know, it just didn't bother me a whole lot. My brother's thought it was bothering me though, clearly and why wouldn't it? He'd tortured me after all. I was resilient though and my brother's would never let something like that happen again, they'd assured me of that. Though why they'd felt the need I don't know. I sat on the edge of my bed and unwrapped the bandage on my hand. Crushed bones, they'd told me, six weeks to heal, if I was lucky. I was more than lucky.

My hand looked pretty pathetic, I had to admit. Fingers all splinted into place. That would definitely have to be the first to go. There was a knock on my door but I had to see to this first. I called on my power, I knew my eyes were charcoal black even though I couldn't see them. The bones in my hand realigned and then fitted themselves together, resealing themselves. I pulled the splints off and testingly wiggled my fingers. Movement was fine. Good. That was good. A second knock was followed by Reid's voice from the other side yelled "C'mon, open the door Pogo, Caleb's gettin' his 'mother hen' face on."

There was a scuffle and an 'ow' presumably from Reid, by which time I was at the door, opening it. Caleb walked in, followed by Tyler, Reid brought up the rear, rubbing his head. Even I could tell he was being over dramatic and I hadn't seen the hit but that was Reid all over, he was a drama queen at best. Always itching to be the center of attention, always being loud or playing jokes and always willing to take the credit for it when he does. "You should major in drama at college." I tell him.

"At least I'm going to college." He shoots back.

I roll my eyes, I have an apprenticeship all worked out for learning mechanics. I know what I wanna do. Which is exactly why I don't really need to bother with paying too much attention in class since I'm only doing the classes to appease my status conscious parents. A Son of Ipswich not going to college? They were going to flip out. I hadn't told them yet though. I wasn't planning on telling them until they got back off their two month tour of Europe they were going on in a couple of weeks. "Cram it." I tell him. The banter isn't a new thing. We banter a lot, it's nothing like Reid and Caleb though, that's not banter, that's arguments. Full on arguments. Actually I think the only person Reid can get along with properly is Tyler. I don't remember ever seeing them fall out but maybe that's because Tyler's kind of like a shadow to Reid, like a fainter carbon copy. At least that's what some of the idiots like Aaron Abbot say about him but we know better. Tyler is his own person. He just happens to like hanging around with and agreeing with Reid. I don't think Reid's ever explicitly told him that he wants him to there, to hang with him or talk with him or follow him around but he's just always been there. Ever since we first met. But that doesn't make him any less of his own person. I like to think they're extensions of each other, Reid and Tyler, because they're exact opposites. Reid's loud and confident and Tyler's shy and quiet but either can be the other when necessary. When faced with the situation that demands it. Like they can just switch into each other's feelings. Maybe they can, I never asked.

Reid laughs. "You're gettin' slow with comebacks Po." So it wasn't my best. Sue me. I hit him on the arm lightly.

"Shut up. C'mon. We're gonna be late." We're meeting the girls at Nicky's. Why I don't know, considering they live a floor away and so it would actually be easier to meet here and go together but noo. Oh well. Too late to complain now. I grab my jacket, we file out of my dorm room and down to Tyler's car. Caleb's is parked next to it but he still gets into the hummer with us. Meaning Tyler's going to drive us all back here and then he'll go home from here.

The drive is a relatively short one. Caleb gives his speech to Reid on not Using in public, etc, etc and I know Reid hears him but I can see it in his eyes that he doesn't care and he likes pushing Caleb's buttons. I've asked myself a couple of times if Reid doesn't like being thrown into walls a bit too much to be completely sane. But then I figure he just likes the fight. Overall, we all know that it's a wasted breath on Cay's part. Reid isn't going to listen and he's going to Use anyway, because it gets on Aaron's nerves to watch Reid make impossible shots at pool and Reid likes the threat of a fight and the promise of money for making those shots.

So I just shake my head at Caleb to indicate his useless scheme was not working and then climb out of the car. We slip easily into the bar and almost everyone greets us with a smile and the occasional 'Hi' until we make it to where Sarah and Kate are sitting, laughing about something. Kate grins in my direction. "Hey, Baby." I lean over and kiss her. I never cared about who saw my public displays of affection. In fact, the more the better. As I had proved wiht Chase-or treid to before he'd gone psycho Warlock on us-she was mine. Everyone respected that but mainly because there were rumours about what had happened to Chase. Most of them centered around me killing him which wasn't the best but since he'd vanished on the same night I'd been put in hospital there was bound to be rumours. We'd fought, I'd killed and buried him and then staged a bike accident. How clever did people think I was? I would never purposefully harm my bike. Which was unfortunately still in the shop after my 'accident'.

I took a seat next to Kate and draped my arm around her shoulders. Caleb sat opposite, next to Sarah, who he'd broken it off with just after the events of the fall fest because it was just too dangerous for her to be that closely involved in our world but she was still cool and we still spent time with her. We were just friends. Caleb breaking it off with Sarah lead me to ponder my own relationship with Kate, sure she was safer out of our world but neither of us would be happier for it. I loved her. Which was saying something for me. I wasn't a 'relationship' orientated guy. but Kate was different, special. Even if that did make me sound like I'm a part of some cheesy chick flick rom-com type movie.

Reid and Tyler vanish towards the pool tables. I contemplate just calling them by one name. They were never apart, it would certainly be easier. Ryler. I don't think they'd respond well to that. Sounds very Brangelina. I don't know. Reid and Tyler would make a better couple than Reid and whatever girls he's decided to try and hit on tonight and I say try because he's got a reputation, it precedes him and very few girls are interested and Tyler, I don't think I've ever seen Tyler try and get a chick, or even talk to the ones who are interested. That's weird now I come to think of it but there's not much I can do about it now. Back to Reid and Tyler. At least they'd have a relationship to build on. I keep my thoughts to myself until Kate says "You're quiet Baby, is something wrong?" Which of course puts all of Caleb's and most of Sarah's attention on me.

I nod and smile. "I'm fine." I tell them, and it's true. They'll assume I'm lying. They'll assume I'm thinking about Chase, or my ascension. I never get the benefit of the doubt around these people but I love them anyway. I stand up and excuse myself to go get a drink, now that I've thought about it, I decide to look closer at Tyler and even Reid's behavior. Maybe there's more than meets the eye here.


	3. A History Lesson

Still not mine. I am on fire. Three chapters in one day.

_Monday 23rd October, 2006._

I filed into my history class with all the other students, casually picking at the sleeve of my blazer. Ugh. I hated the school uniform so much. I don't care if it's one of the best private school's in the country, Spenser uniform sucks. The best part about it is definitely the girls in summer. Shorts skirts and no tights means opportunity for money to be made with the affectionately nicknamed 'panty game'. I was abnormally good at that game. I silently vowed to never let Kate know about it. That was one use of my powers she'd never see or hear about.

I finished picking at my sleeves and sat in my seat next to Caleb, who gave me a half smile and a quiet "Hey." It's actually the closest Caleb ever gets to a happy emotion. He can get angry and exasperated but he never seems to be happy, or even sad. Although, I have seen him sad. I've been privy to that quiet moment of breakdown.

_He came to visit me in the hospital, the day after what had happened at Putnam barn. I was feeling much better and I sat up to talk to him but the look on his face said he didn't want to talk. He sat in the chair next to my bed and I'd almost settled to sleep when I heard him say "I did it." I couldn't see where he was going with this. I knew he meant he'd defeated Chase and I knew that, because he was sitting here but Chase had had twice the power and it confused me, he must have seen the confusion on my face because he looked at me and continued "I defeated him." I nodded, my throat still to sore to talk much, he looked like he was having trouble finding the words and I was suddenly very afraid of what he was going to say. I reached my unbandaged hand out to him and he took it. "My father gave me the power." Oh. Oh no. Caleb's dad had willed Caleb his powers. William Danvers III was dead. Caleb's head fell forward and I knew what he was doing. He was hiding the tears that had sprung into his eyes from me. I wanted to comfort him. I didn't know how,_

_"I'm sorry Caleb." I croaked out. He squeezed my hand and nodded without lifting his head. _

_"It's hard. Harder than I thought" He whispered and I quickly caught the double meaning. He hadn't been prepared to loose his father so soon, without warning, even though to the rest of the world he was already dead. But harder than that was the acceptance of two lots of ascended power. If one set was seductive, two must be so much harder._

_"Don't worry." I told him, even thought there was no way I could no for sure there was no cause for panic. "You're not alone. We're all here to help." The group plural seemed to make him feel better even if Reid and Tyler weren't there. He touched his fingers to his eyes, wiping away the tears he hadn't let me see and then raised his head, nodding._

And that had been it, the whole breakdown, it was just a few tears but it was definitely the most sadness I've ever seen him express. It's the most emotion I've ever seen him express unless he's really pissed at Reid for Using. I sighed quietly and got my book out of my bag. The door opened and I looked up expecting Mr. Johnson but instead saw a young man that couldn't be older than twenty five. I shot a look around the room, I wasn't the only one looking confused.

He looked up at us. "Good Afternoon class. I am William McCoy and I'm your substitute history teacher. Brian has got a rather serious case of pneumonia." Great, a sub. Again I saw the thoughts reflected in everyone else's eyes. A substitute teacher, a young substitute teacher, oh this one was going to be easy to mess with. It started pretty tamely, as far as messing with the sub goes. He said he would be teaching us about the cold war, Aaron told him we'd already studied it. Everyone backed him up. I was worried he'd give us a pop quiz on it, but instead he just nodded and changed the topic. "Fine, let's cover local history." He suggested, a few people brightened at the idea, I groaned inwardly. By local, he meant Salem, by Salem he meant witch trials. I shot Caleb a look and he shrugged. Everyone but us found it an interesting topic, there wasn't much we could do except sit through it and hope for the best. The best being our names not mentioned, our families glossed over.

Lady luck was not on our side today when he brought out the book from the library, _The chronicles of Paganism_, yeah, that clearly stated our family names. Dammit. We waited with baited breath as he flicked through the book and stopped on a page about a third of the way through. He read us through the trials of John Putnam and had to explain to some of the more dense (all money, no sense types that got in the school soley on daddy's credit card) individuals that yes, witches could be boys or girls. He also explained that most of the accused were innocent and even made the age old joke about how, if the accused really were witches they'd have cast a spell to get them out of prison. I laughed along with everyone else, although mine was humorless. That wasn't true. John Putnam had been a witch, he had had the power. His spirit had kept on haunting the area long after his death. Three hundred years afterward actually. We'd had to stop his spirit and then we'd had to stop his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-however many greats-grandson. I say we, I mean Caleb.

Then comes the bit we've been waiting all lesson for, he flips the page and takes a long look at the names, then takes out the register. "Is it a complete coincidence this class contains a Danvers, a Garwin, a Simms and a Parry, or divine providence that we have the survivors of an age old line of accused witches?" I say nothing. That's the general consensus when it comes to questions like this. You sit tight, you say nothing and hope he gives up.

Of course, Abbot has to open his mouth. "You mean the 'Sons of Ipswich'?" I don't like the way he says it, it's mocking. Half the class take a breath at the same time. They don't know what to think, everyone knows we're descended from accused witches, everyone knows we don't like talking about it.

Mr. McCoy looks confused for a moment, "I suppose perhaps I do. I just wondered if they had anything to add to our discussion. Any family heritage stories? Any truths in the book?"

I force myself to laugh. "It's all a bunch of nonsense." I tell him, everyone's eye turn to me, the first son to speak out. Reid looks a little miffed it isn't him. "Sure, our families were persecuted, they're still close, we're all friends but everyone knows that facts from those days are often wrong and that the accused were innocent of everything but being in the wrong place at the wrong time." I shrug. "Maybe it happened but if it did, they got out of town before they were caught, so it was a lucky break for them." This seems to calm the class and McCoy looks a little taken aback.

He nods, "That's very opinionated of you Mr..."

"Parry." I tell him. I don't care if he knows which of the sons I am.

"Mr. Parry." He repeats and I don't like the way he says it. I can't figure out what it is but there's nothing comforting about it. I shake off the feeling and nod. He clears his throat and moves on. "There are all kinds of spells these witches are said to perform..." His voice trails off, at least in my head, until I block out the sound almost completely and glance at Caleb, he nods. I've done the right thing. People may have been more suspicious of the truth if we'd all refused to talk at all. So my righteous indignation of people asking if we know anything special about the witch trails because our families were there was the perfect cover. I smile weakly. Finally the bell goes and we walk down to the bottom. McCoy's eyes seems to bore into us and I hurry Caleb out. He officially gives me the creeps.

Reid and Tyler join us moments later. Tyler's wearing Reid's red and black hoodie but I pretend not to notice as I smile at them in welcome. "What was that about?" Red questions, always inquisitive. If he was a cat he'd be long dead by now. That's a weird thing to say.

I shrug, I don't know if he's talking about my outburst-if it can be called that, my outbursts are usually more violent and much louder-or the lesson itself. "McCoy gives me the creeps." I confess and immediately regret it.

Reid laughs. "Aww, does the nasty substitute teacher scare Poguey?"

Is he trying to see how far he can push me before I lash out at him? Is he pissed at me because I was the one getting all the attention last lesson? Ugh. Sometimes I just can't figure out what's going on in Reid's head. Thankfully, I am spared answering by the bell and Caleb's voice saying "C'mon, we've got swimming practice." I turn and follow him to the gym, Reid and Tyler behind us.

I love swimming, it's one of my few passions. I've been known to hit people that tell me butterfly is a girly swim. I guess they've never tried it though, when they do tell me that because in actuality it requires a lot of strength. It's why my arms are so muscley. In the locker room I change quickly and hit the pool first. It always seems to take me ten times as long to get changed back into my uniform that it does for me to change into my swimming shorts. Though maybe that's because I hate my uniform and love swimming. The rhythm of it allows me to sink into a zone where I'm beyond thinking. Where there's nothing but me and the water and I have to push myself faster because that's what I want to do, not because I have to do it to win. I love going fast, it's why I'm so bummed about my bike. I love living on the edge and that allows me to do that. Some people have said I'm an adrenalin junkie, others say I need to stop before I get myself killed. I don't listen to any of them. I do what I want, when I want. They can accept it or get lost.

When I'm out of breath, I stop at the end and look up. People are waiting for the lane. I pull myself out of the water and grab a towel. This school needs a bigger pool. With all the tuition money they get paid you'd think they'd be able to afford it. I walk over to Reid and Tyler. "Do you guys ever swim?" I ask jokingly.

"We're learning through watching." Reid tells me.

"Yeah? Who are you watching?" I ask, I have a sneaking suspicion it's not the boys side of the pool.

"Jane Black." He smirks at me, I grin back.

"You couldn't get her if you tried." I challenge him.

"Oh yeah? How much are you willing to bet?" Hm. I stop to think about it, I catch Tyler's eyes, he's watching me curiously but I catch something else in his expression, just beneath the surface.

I shake my head at Reid, "Nevermind. Nothing." He smirks, like I've conceded some sort of big prize to him but I haven't. I know he couldn't get that girl if he tried. I also know if he tried, Tyler would be hurt and I won't let that happen. "I'll catch you later." I tell them and head into the showers before the mad rush at the end of the session. I change slowly back into the hideous uniform. I have missed something important. Something that has been there all along. I decline the invitation to go out that night and retire to my dorm room, suddenly exhausted. I mill around and do very little in the way of anything in the next few hours before I finally get to sleep.

It's hours later that my phone rings and I'm roused from sleep. I don't look at who it is. I just answer with full intention of telling them to fuck off unless it's life or death. I immediately regret my decision. "Pogue, it's Reid. Tyler's sick and I don't know what to do."


	4. 2002

Still not mine. -sigh- I wish it was. This Chapter is dedicated to Strife Knight, without her and her brothers, this story would not exist and I know how much of a fan she is of hurt/comfort scenes.

_Saturday 19th January, 2002._

I'm sitting on my bed, reading a magazine about bikes and about hot chicks on bikes, when two things happen. One. I decide I need to get a bike when I'm old enough. Two. My phone rings. I ignore it, I'm busy. Then it rings again immediately after, who would be trying to reach me that badly? I put down my magazine and pick up the phone. For a moment all I hear is some heavy breathing on the other line and I think that it's a prank call and I go to put down the phone. Then the person on the other end realises I'm there. "Pogue!" Is yelled hurriedly into the receiver and I bring it back to my ear.

"Reid?" Of course it was Reid, I'd know that voice anywhere.

"Yes." Okay, something's up, the Reid I know would have cracked a joke about being the tooth fairy or something. "I need you to come over, now!" He's demanding but I know something bad's happening.

"Reid, what is it?" I ask quickly, already pulling on my shoes and grabbing my wallet.

"It's Tyler. He just showed up on my doorstep, I think he's sick, he's breathing really quickly and he's all hot."

Normally I would have laughed. "What did your parents say?"

"They're not home. I called Caleb but he's shopping with his mom." My parents were out too, I remembered. Great. I didn't know how to deal with this.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." I don't know if that was an exaggeration or not. Reid didn't live that far away. I grabbed my push bike from the garage and pedaled as fast as I could to his house. The door was open, so I just walked in. "Reid!" I yelled.

Footsteps sounded from upstairs. "Pogue!" I ran upstairs, Reid was standing in his doorway, he backed up as I approached to let me in. Tyler was curled up on his bed, breathing shallow but fast. I crouched next to him trying to remember what I'd seen on those Doctor shows my mom loved.

"Straighten out, Ty, curling up makes your lungs smaller." I tried to hide the note of panic in my voice, I was fourteen, I didn't know how to handle this. "Um...um...um." Think Pogue, think! What else do they use? I didn't even know what was wrong with him. "Um...oh..paper bag." Maybe he was hysterical. Shouldn't I slap him if he was hysterical? I didn't want to slap Tyler. Reid ran off and I finally got Tyler to straighten out. He winced when I touched his shoulder though. "Are you hurt Tyty?" I asked. He shook his head but his breathing quickened. Reid ran back with a plastic bag. "I said paper!" I half-yelled. I was scared and that made me louder than I should have been.

"There wasn't any." I focused hard on the bag. Calling up my power, I'd only had it for a year, how could I know how to-the bag turned from plastic to paper-do that. I gave Tyler the bag and told him to breathe into it. There was nothing else I could think to do so Reid sat next to me and we talked gently to Tyler. Telling how he was our baby brother and we loved him. It seemed to work. He calmed down slowly. His breathing returned to normal.

We heard the door open and footsteps that could only belong to Caleb approach, he burst into the room. "Ty?"

"He's okay." I said quietly. Reid nodded and gently brushed Tyler's hair from his face. "Scared us half to death though." I continued.

Caleb came to sit with us. "What happened?"

Reid glanced at him and then back to Tyler, "He showed up on my doorstep, asked if he could stay the night, then when he got upstairs the phone rang and he freaked out, curled up and started breathin' hard. I couldn't get him to stop, I called you, then Pogue. Pogue stopped it."

I shrugged, "I didn't do much."

Always the drama queen Reid shook his head vigourously, "You saved his life!" He exclaimed, in a way that made me feel awkward. Had I? I wasn't sure. I gave a small smile anyway, Reid liked an interactive audience for his performances. He settled down again quickly though and went back to watching Tyler. I paused and stood up. "You want a glass of water Ty?"

He sat up, "I'm fine."

"Whatever that was it was not fine." I said. "Please lie down. I'll get you some water." I didn't like sitting very still for very long, it bored me, I walked out of Reid's room and down to the kitchen. I knew where everything was, so I helped myself to four glasses and filled them with water, then put them on a tray. I had just left the kitchen when the front door opened once more and Reid's mom, Anna, walked in. "Hey Mrs. Garwin." I greeted her with a smile.

"Oh, Hello, Pogue." She was surprised to see me. She looked at the tray. "You're all here then?" I nodded. She smiled, "Are you staying for dinner?" I liked Reid's mom, she was nice. She could be strict, yes, but she was nice.

"That would be great Mrs. Garwin." My parents wouldn't mind.

"Wonderful, can you ask Caleb and Tyler too?" I nodded again and walked up the stairs with the tray. I slipped into Reid's room.

"Cay, Ty, Reid's mom wants to know if you want to stay for dinner." I told them immediately, putting the tray down and handing Tyler a glass of water. He nodded.

Caleb nodded too, "Sure. I'll go tell her, you can stay here." He walked out.

Tyler sipped his water. I sat back down on the floor. Reid had moved to the edge of the bed. Caleb came trotting back up the stairs.

"She says it's okay and that she'll call our parents and ask." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tyler shift but by the time I'd turned to look properly he was back in his position, maybe I imagined it.

Twenty minutes later, Anna was calling up the stairs. "Boys! Dinner!" I don't know if it was just me, but we seemed a little more subdued than usual as we walked downstairs and sat at the dinner table. Anna came out with steaming plates of pasta and sauce. "Your mother's said it was fine for you to stay for dinner, and even stay over night if you'd like." She said with a smile.

We rejoiced at that and ate our dinner quickly before bounding upstairs and getting out the blow up mattress Reid keeps stored away for just such occasions. Reid and Tyler take the bed, Caleb and I top-to-tail on the mattress. For now we all sit on the mattress and Reid grabs a torch then waves his hand at the light switch, turning it off. Caleb's slight frown is the last thing I see before we're plunged into darkness. Reid switches the torch on and lights his face up from beneath so it looks scary. "Let's tell ghost stories." He suggests with a grin. This is going to be a fun night.

Fours hours later, it's nearly midnight. Caleb fell asleep an hour ago and because of it earned a mustache drawn in felt tip from Reid. Who's been asleep for ten minutes at most. Tyler's still awake, I can see him outlined in the darkness now my eyes have adjusted to it. He's sitting with his back rigid against Reid's headboard. I watch him for five minutes, he doesn't move. "Ty?" I whisper. His head turns, surprised, he didn't think I was awake. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I can almost feel his lie. I shuffle out of the blanket I'm under and pad over to the edge of the bed, I sit on the floor.

"What's up?" I can still only see his outline very faintly.

"Nothin'." I sigh.

"Tyler."

"'m scared." He says, then stops like it's something he's not meant to have said.

I sigh again, not at him this time, "Did Reid freak you out with the rabbit pie story? 'Cause I promise you that's not true." He seems to relax a bit. Maybe Reid should have paid more attention to Tyler when he was telling his stories, Tyler freaks easily. "I'll stay up and keep watch though if you want." It seems to be what he wants to hear. He slips down under the covers and closes his eyes. I smile slightly and sit up, watching the door. I know nothing is going to come through there but if it makes Tyler feel safer I'll sit up all night to protect my baby brother and I do just that.


	5. A Friend in need's a friend indeed

Covenant is still not mine. Half this plotline isn't even mine. Another chapter dedicated to Strife Knight.

_Tuesday 24th October, 2006_

So, I was thinking earlier about how I'm passionate about very few things but I'm starting to think that might not be true. I'm passionate about s, about my bike, about Kate, about my brothers, about my powers, my family and a whole load of other things. Maybe I'm too passionate. Maybe that's my problem, I rush into things head first without thinking about it. Like this. I'm standing outside Reid and Tyler's dorm room door at two in the morning because Tyler has a fever. I knock. I hear Reid fumbling with the lock on the other side and then the door opens. Reid looks pale himself, I wonder if that's just worry or if he's caught whatever Tyler's got. I don't really want to be looking after both of them. I say that now but I know if it came down to it I would. Like I said, I'm too passionate about my family, surrogate or otherwise.

I walk into the room. Tyler's lying on the bed, drenched in sweat. There's a bucket next to him and the smell emanating from it tells me what's in it. I pull a face. When Reid had said he was bad, I hadn't expected this. "Clean the bucket." I tell Reid, "And get me a damp cloth with a bowl of water." I don't ask what happened, I don't need to know. My first priority is getting Tyler better. I do however ask, as Reid scurries about with the tasks I've asked him to do, "Did you call Caleb?"

"Yeah, he's on his way." I take the cloth as it's offered and dab the sweat of Tyler's head, then I rinse and lay the cloth on his head. His clothes are soaked.

"Reid. Help me get him undressed."

"What?" Do not pick now to challenge me, Reid Garwin. I sigh.

"His clothes are soaked, he's cold and damp and that's just going to make him sicker, we need to get him undressed and then into clean clothes." I explain calmly, in my 'talking to a two year old' voice. I suppose we're pretty lucky that, like the rest of us, Tyler's chosen to sleep shirtless. I dab at his forehead with the cloth as Reid pulls his sweats off. It's not exactly a big deal, we've all seen each other naked at some point, pretty regularly actually in the locker room. There's no shame there. Especially not from Reid. I grab a clean pair of boxers and sweats from the drawers and throw them to Reid, who, out of some form of decency I didn't know he had, looked away as he changed Tyler's underwear quickly. I go over in my head what we need to do now. "Now put him under the covers, keep him warm. We need to sweat out the fever."

"But you just said sweat was bad." Reid pointed out.

I sigh yet again, it's two am and my patience is limited, "Yes, when it's cold. We need to make him very very warm." My two year old voice is back. There's a knock at the door and Caleb walks in, I'm glad because I'm not sure how much more of this I can handle.

"How is he?" Caleb's voice is steady but laced with worry. He must have stopped at some twenty four hour garage because he has a bag with him.

"We've cooled his forehead, changed him and put him under the covers-" At this I take the blanket from Reid's bed and drape it over Tyler. "-I don't know what else there is to do."

"I've got antibiotics." Caleb says holding up the bag, useful but not when he's unconscious.

"We'll have to wait." I say. Reid sinks down onto the edge of Tyler's bed. I sit on the edge of Reid's, Caleb sits next to me. I lean on his shoulder. The physical leaning seems to help me emotionally aswell. My worries have lifted slightly and the feeling of trying to control everything is gone. I do hate when something bad happens and Caleb's not around. I do then have to take charge and I don't think I'm half as good at it as he is. He just has this instantly calming presence. His cheek comes to rest on my head. Reid looks as though he wants to say something but then he doesn't and he turns back to Tyler. I can't help thinking that if it was anyone else he wouldn't be half as bothered. He'd be bothered, don't get me wrong, but not this bothered. Not 'perching on the edge of the bed playing nursemaid' bothered. I watched as he dabbed at Tyler's forehead and gently brushed damp hair back. I wanted to say something too, but I also decided to keep it to myself. I wondered what was going through Caleb's head, was it something like what was going through mine?

Was he over analysing little touches the way I was? It was impossible to tell. His face was as impassive as ever as he watched. Actually, I had a pretty good idea of what he was thinking. He was thinking that he could help, that his powers could heal Tyler, he had enough power to do that, to heal him completely. "Don't." I whispered, too quietly for even Reid to hear. "He can fight this on his own." I hoped that was true and I felt bad for not letting him do it but he'd already used so much power fighting Chase that it was pretty astonishing he still looked eighteen. Well, maybe, I didn't know exactly how much power was used in that battle but it couldn't have been a small amount, Chase wouldn't have used only a little, he would have gone all out which meant to survive so did Caleb.

That thought worried me slightly, surely Using that much after gaining that much power made it so much harder to stop once you were done? I also knew if anyone could get through it, it would be Caleb and that gave me some comfort. Caleb was sensible. He could handle this. Still, he had to know that I was there for him if he couldn't. "You doin' okay?" I asked quietly.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

I studied him, "You can tell me if you're ever not, you know." He nodded. I guess he did know. Well, that was the end of that conversation I guess. There wasn't much else we could do for Tyler now. I shut my eyes. I was still exhausted, mayb emore so now. Caleb's shoulder was deceptively comfy. I soon found myself drifting.

_A cage came into view, it was battered but held the air of something so old it should be preserved. There were four canaries inside, flitting around, whistling to each other happily. I approached the cage and they too no notice of me. I opened the cage door and placed my hand inside, one of the birds hopped into it and I withdrew my hand with the bird sitting in it. I stroked it's yellow feathers gently but then it spooked, few up in the air and made a piercing whistling noise. Two of the others flew out of the cage, the last struggled but it's wings were damp and it couldn't fly. I stepped over to help it but something got their first. A large cat took a leap from a chair I hadn't noticed before, landing directly in front of the cage. The bird backed away but it had no-where to go, it hopped around helplessly as the cat stuck it's paw into the cage and swiped at the bidr, catching it's wing. I watched in fascinated horror as the cat pulled the bird to it, then let it hop away only to bring it back to it's clutches . Toyed with the small helpless animal. I wanted to stop it, to interfere but I couldn't if I tried. My feet were glued to the floor. _

"Pogue." My name roused me from my slumber and my very odd dream. I opened my eyes and yawned. Oh, right, I'd fallen asleep in Reid and Tyler's room, on Caleb's shoulder. On Reid's bed. Meh. I lifted my head.

"Hm?" How had I ended up lying down?

"We've got to get ready for class." How could it be morning already?

"How is he?" I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes. Glancing to Tyler I note Reid hasn't moved, I look back to Caleb.

"He woke up around five, we gave him a does of antibiotics and he went straight back to sleep." He sounds tired, and he looks kind of pale. He hasn't slept, I can tell and I highly doubt Reid has either.

"I don't want to go to class." I said, I'm not the most studious at the best of times and this definitely a bad time. "And you shouldn't go either." He needs to stay here and get some sleep before he passes out. I don't think that happens after just one night, but y'know, best not to tempt fate.

"Pogue." He looks ready to argue, I poke him with my foot.

"Shut up. You look exhausted. Get some rest, I'll tell Kate to say we're sick." They probably wouldn't believe all four of us were sick, but between Tyler's fever, Reid's general paleness and both his and Caleb's s...well I was the only one looking half decent and it probably wasn't all that great. I shuffled out of the bed and pointed Caleb to the place I'd just vacated. "Sleep." I get out my phone and text Kate, telling her first the truth and then what to tell the teachers. Caleb still hasn't moved. I sigh and push his shoulder. "Oi, human statue. Are you in there? Earth to Caleb." He blinks. "Close enough. Lie down."

"But-"

"I've got it." I promise, I've got no idea what he's trying to say but it's probably something to do with his leadership and hero complexes. He wants to be there for Tyler but making himself sick wouldn't make Tyler any happier. I make a note to tell this to Reid too. Caleb thinks about arguing again, I see the defiance flash in his eyes but it's quickly followed by an exhaustion. He lies down, I nod, I can play leader for a few hours and I know he trusts me to do that. I walk over to Reid and place my hand on his shoulder "You should get some sleep too. I'll watch him."

Reid shakes his head, "'m not tired." He lies, I know he's lying because there's already a darkening under his eyes from lack of sleep, I wonder if this isn't the first night he's stayed up but the thought is quickly dismissed, he had no need for staying up any other nights.

I want to argue with him, to tell him to stop being stupid and get some sleep but he looks fragile. That thought scares me. I've never seen Reid look fragile. He's never scared, he always just gets angry but there's nothing to be angry at about Tyler's sickness. Just nature. Tyler shifts in his sleep and mumbles something incoherently, we're both on immediate full alert, watching him, but he settles down again quickly. He was probably dreaming. I sit on the edge of the bed, the opposite side to Reid. I don't know what to do. "You want something to eat?" I have to ask. If he won't sleep, maybe he'll eat, but Reid just shakes his head. I sigh. "Fine." There's not much else I can say.

We sit in silence for what feels like an age. Being bored and worried at the same time is an odd feeling but somehow I seem to access it. I'm bored from sitting still for so long, I'm worried about Tyler. My stomach grumbles. I don't normally go this long without food. I stand up. Reid looks up. "I'm hungry." I tell him.

He nods. "You know where stuff is. Help yourself." I walk over to the desk. It's not supposed to be used to store food but since when has Reid listened to school rules? I take out a loaf of bread and open the mini fridge. For a teenage boy's apartment there's a surprising amount of in date, good food. I expect it's Tyler's doing. They have everything in here, plastic plates, cutlery. I don't know why they ever bother to leave. I quickly make myself a sandwich, or rather, bread and butter since they actually lack anything to put onto a sandwich. Weird. I turn back, Tyler's moving again. I hurry over and put the plate down. He's definitely waking up this time.

"Tyler?" I ask quietly. He opens his eyes, I put my hand on his forehead. I think the fever's broken. "Hey."

"Hey Baby boy." Reid greets him at the same time I do.

"You gave us quite a scare." I say. "Take it easy."

"What happened?" Ty asks. I see Caleb sit up out of the corner of my eye. He was never asleep at all was he?

"You got sick, passed out. We took care of you." I smile down at him. "How are you feeling?"

He makes a move to sit up, "'m fine."

"Tyler." Caleb's stepped in, in all his authority. "You are not fine. You're sick. Lie down and get some rest."

I backed into the bathroom and poured a glass of water for Tyler, I took it back out to him. "Fluids are important." He drank it slowly. I smiled. He was getting better already.


	6. Three days later

Still not mine.

_Friday 27th October, 2006_

Tyler wasn't any better. Every time we thought he was, he got worse again. Now we were all sleep deprived and very concerned. Tyler wasn't even sleeping, which was only adding to our concerns. Caleb paced backwards and forwards, Reid was still sitting on the bed with Ty. Tyler was alternating between sitting and lying down, he flinched and we all winced. He'd get a pain that shot through his whole body and then it'd stop. "Ty." Reid's voice was quiet as it broke the silence.

"'m fine." Tyler said, I frowned.

"Stop saying that." Caleb half-growled.

"You're not fine Ty." I said. He curled up under the covers. Reid tucked them around him.

"Sorry." Tyler said, muffled by the blankets and pillows.

"Stop saying that." It was another thing he'd been doing. Apologizing every time someone took care of him. I shook my head. "We care about you."

Tyler nodded mutely, though all we could see was a shifting of the blankets.

Cay sighed, "We're sorry we care." I couldn't place the emotion in his voice, tiredness, protectiveness, it could have been any number of things on top of that too.

"Should be." Tyler muttered, I cracked a half-smile.

"I'm not." Reid said. Ty looked at him and gave a small smile. I almost sighed in relief. Any emotion other than pain was good right now. He shuffled out of the bed. We looked at him. He pointed to the bathroom door and shuffled away. Reid collapsed sideways onto the bed. He looked exhausted.

"Three, two, one." I muttered as Reid's eyes fluttered closed. He was well and truly out. A thought came to me. I rummaged around the desk until I pulled out a permanent marked. Caleb eyed me suspiciously. "We haven't done this since we were fourteen. It'll give 'em a laugh." He nodded and sank onto the edge of Reid's bed as I quickly wrote on Reid's face and stomach. Then I stepped back to admire my work. The bathroom door opened, I tossed the pen back to the desk as Tyler shuffled back into view. He looked at Reid and gave a tiny smile before perching on the edge of the bed.

A knock on the door jolted Reid awake and I quickly crossed to it and pulled the door open.

"Hey." It was Sarah, with a thermos. She'd brought soup. I stepped back to let her in. She stepped in. "How're you feeling Ty?"

"Tyler is fine." Ty said, I assume he was just trying to get around Caleb telling him to stop saying 'I'm fine.'

"Tyler is not fine." Reid said. Sarah glanced to him and smile. He looked at her oddly and then shrugged it off. I was in so much trouble when he noticed. He yawned. Sarah handed Tyler the thermos.

"I brought you some soup." Ty flinched. Sarah caught the thermos quickly and blinked. "I'm sorry."

"Not- you." Ty managed to get out as his body relaxed.

"Tyler gets pains at random times." Reid said. "You should just admit you're sick Baby Boy."

"It's not a problem." Ty muttered sullenly.

"Apart from loss of appetite, insomnia and random pains through you entire body." Reid challenged.

Tyler seemed to consider this for a moment and then said, "I'm sorry, I can't take you seriously while you've got 'Caleb's bitch' written across your forehead." Dammit, he'd ratted me out. Reid looked shocked for a moment, then jumped up and crossed to the mirror.

"Dammit!" He exclaimed, taking in his full appearance. The writing on his forehead. Not to mention the 'Property of Tyler Simms' down arrow I'd put on his stomach. "Why is my dick Tyler's?" He asked.

"Because he loves you." Cay said. I chuckled weakly.

"Who wrote this?" Reid demanded. He looked between me and Cay. I put on my most 'I'm innocent' expression. He tackled me. I rolled us over and sat on his stomach, shaking my head. I was twice as strong as Reid. Tyler pouted and sank to the floor. I stood up. Reid rushed over to Tyler and picked him up.

"Sorry." Tyler said quietly.

"No need to apologize Ty." Reid told him. Tyler relaxed slightly into his chest. Reid sat back on the bed, holding him. The moment seemed somehow private but apparently they were still both pretending to be oblivious to each others feelings. "What else are we gonna do while our baby boy's sick?"

"Have fun?" Ty suggested.

"Fun is overrated." I said.

"Family is what matters." Caleb chipped in.

"We're not desertin' you Ty." Reid promised. There was a pause, then Reid flashed his eyes and removed the ink off his forehead.

Caleb frowned.

"Get over it." Reid told him. "I'm not you Bitch anymore. Or any variation thereof." Reid gave a slight grin.

"What about the writing on your stomach? Did you get rid of that?" I asked.

"No." He seemed almost proud. I smirked. "Don't give me that look Po." I simply chuckled quietly and sat next to Caleb.

Sarah handed Tyler a cup of the soup instead of the whole thermos this time and he took a sip. Then another. It was the most food I'd seen him consume in three days. He took another couple of sips then pushed the cup back to her. She took it and carefully screwed the lid back on, placing the flask on the desk. There was a buzz as her phone rang. She answered it. "Kate?" My heart jumped slightly. I missed Kate, a lot. "Yeah. Reid and Tyler's room. No. Yes. Okay. See you soon." She hung up. "Kate's coming up here." She told us. I smiled brightly. Reid gave me a look. I stuck my tongue out. Tyler gave a weak laugh.

We sat for five minutes, chatting about pretty meaningless things. Most of which I think centered around Reid's stomach writing. Then there was a knock on the door and Sarah was there before I could get it. Kate walked in and I crossed to her quickly. "Baby." I greeted, kissing her gently. Reid cleared his throat. I flipped him off.

"Hey, Baby" She greeted me. I wrapped my arms around her waist as she looked around. "How're you Ty?"

"He is not fine." Reid interjected before Tyler could open his mouth.

Tyler just nodded and shrugged.

"He thinks we're overreacting. We're not." I told her. I sat on the bed and she shuffled in next to me, Caleb was still on my other side. I yawned. No sleep was starting to get to me too.

She gently stroked my hair. "When was the last time you slept Baby?"

I relaxed into the touch. "Wednesday." That made it almost forty two hours without sleep.

"Go to sleep." She chided. I could tell she was just worried about me. I shook my head.

It took another half an hour of coaxing to get me to so much as lie down, but once she did I was off very quickly.

_Standing in a forest as the moon rose above the trees I became conscious that there was a rustling behind me. I turned quickly but there was nothing. I turned back again only to find myself faced with a wolf. I stepped back but my back hit a tree I was sure hadn't been there two seconds ago. The tree tilted backwards sharply and I found myself sprawled across it as it hit the forest floor with a crash. The wolf snarled and I struggled to sit up but it had already pounced, it pinned me down with a weight that was almost unnatural and its gaze pierced me, like it was looking deep into my soul, they looked familiar but I didn't have time to think about it. A flash of pain as it slashed my chest. I cried out but no-one came._

**Don't worry, the real action starts next chapter.**_  
_


	7. It's a new day

Covenant = Not mine. Storyline = Mine and Strife Knight's.

_Saturday 28th October, 2006_

The morning dawned dark and stormy. Perfect. I should have been used to this weather on my birthday, it wasn't an uncommon experience in fall in Ipswich but still. I'd hoped for better weather for my ascension. Oh well. I could deal with this, maybe it was selfish of me to be annoyed about the bad weather after everything that happened to Caleb. I sat up in bed, not my bed obviously, Reid's, and cast glances around the room. Looked like everyone but Caleb got at least a little sleep. Reid and Tyler are curled together in Tyler's bed, Kate's camped out on the floor and Sarah's perched, curled up, on the window seat. All fast asleep. Caleb, on the other hand, is sitting in the corner, wide awake but looking kinda spaced out.

"Not sleeping is bad for your health." I say as I slide out of the bed and move to sit next to him.

"I know." He tells me. It doesn't have any other kind of effect than that.

"You should sleep." I try again, I'm worried about him.

"I'll sleep after today." He promises, I frown. Is he staying awake because he's worried about me? I haven't really given it a whole lot of thought. I don't Use too much so I'm in no danger of the ascension taking over, there's been no hide of hair of Chase since Cay defeated him and we already have the perfect little set-up at the colony house.

I touch his shoulder. "It's gonna be fine." I tell him, wondering why I'm reassuring him when on all accounts it should be the other way around.

"I know." He nods. I sigh. If he's not in a talking mood nothing'll budge him. Tyler jolts awake and our heads shoot up. There's a long pause, then Ty relaxes back.

"Bad dream?" I ask. He nods. Stirred by the jolt, Reid's eyes flutter open and e blinks sleepily for a few moments before rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

Another pause then, "Happy birthday, Pogo." He says. He's the first person to say it and it brings it crashing down. I'm eighteen. I grin stupidly as Caleb and Tyler echo his phrase.

"Thanks guys." I smile, then it falters slightly, "How are you feeling Tyler?"

"Better actually." He says. It's hard to tell if he's lying to avoid arguments about coming with us or if he actually does feel better. I suppose, because he's finally slept it does mean he's feeling better.

"Good." Reid puts his hand on his forehead. "You've cooled down a lot."

I can't resist, "Are you saying you don't think he's hot anymore?" Reid flips me off. I laugh. It feels normal, easy. Kate stirs on the floor and sits up, I can almost see the stiffness of her muscles and it makes me frown a little but she stretches it out quickly.

"Morning boys." I can see she's cheered by the way she's waking up to laughter instead of awkward silence. She makes her way to me and kisses my cheek, "Happy birthday, Baby."

"Thanks." I kiss her gently, Reid wolf-whistles and I feel like throwing a pillow at him but I don't have one to hand. I settle for flipping him off behind Kate's back. He makes a mock shocked face and Tyler pouts. I swear their emotions are linked. "Sorry." I concede, not for Reid but because Tyler's pouty face is impossible to say no to and I know that what he wants me to do. Kate just giggles softly and slips out of my grasp to wake Sarah. I don't see the point but after the blond is awake and has wished me a happy birthday, Kate smiles and excuses them both. Saying they've got something to do.

"Is it each other? 'Cause I want video footage." Reid jokes (I hope), I grab a pillow from his bed and throw it at him, Tyler catches it. Kate kises my cheek and shakes her head "Be nice to Reid. Be careful. Good luck." She kisses me, "I love you."A squeeze of my hand and they're gone.

Reid grins and shrugs, "Well if you're doin' Caleb behind her back, she might aswell do Sarah."

"I'm not 'doing' Caleb." I say.

"Suuuuree." Reid's tone indicates he doesn't believe me but I think it's joking. "So calling each other at two in the morning is completely normal."

"There was a darkling." Caleb defends from the corner. "And how do you even know about that?"

"I'm smarter than I look." There's a pause, "Po told us when he was explaining the whole Chase situation."

Okay, this subject needs to change, quickly, I don't remember mentioning the phone call was at two in the morning, just that he'd called me to tell me about it and I'd done the same when I'd seen it. Trust Reid to store up information like that to use against us. I swear he has some sort of blackmail box filled with things to use as weapons.

"What time are we leaving for the house?" I ask, a completely random subject change but a welcome one.

"You're ascending at four-thirteen so we'll leave here at quarter past three, no later." There, Caleb's in leader mode, much better. I glance at the clock, it's ten, that gives us loads of time.

"Okay." I agree, I'm not exactly going to argue.

"Do you feel up to eating Tyler?" Caleb asks.

"Um." That's never a good start, Ty shrugs, "Sure. I'm not not-hungry." I know what he means, he's overcoming his loss of appetite but he's not exactly hungry yet.

Caleb nods and stands up, "I'll get something." He walks out. I push my hair out of my face and sigh.

"He needs to relax." Reid mutters, I can't help but agree inwardly, Caleb is always so stoic. "He needs to get laid." It's almost an afterthought and I almost don't catch it but when I do I turn to look at Reid.

"What?"

"Oh come _on_ Pogue, sex relaxes people. He might not act like he's got a stick up his ass all the time if he was gettin' some." I realise he's contradicting his earlier joke that I'm having sex with Caleb, that I really don't mind, but it is making me uncomfortable talking about this. Tyler looks vaguely amused though, but he thinks most of what Reid says is funny. I think he tries too hard to be funny but whatever. I'm very glad when Caleb comes back with food to change the topic.

We all eat for the first time in days. Sleeping and eating, things are looking up. Those should not be luxuries but, oddly, they feel like it after three days without an appetite and being unable to sleep. Exhaustion, hunger and fatigue have to take over some time and we seem to have battled them pretty well this morning.

We spend the next few hours talking about meaningless pieces of our lives, bantering, bickering, gossiping. Presents are passed around, which surprises me because I wasn't expecting it since we haven't left the room in four days but I am grateful for them. They're not bad presents either, a CD from Reid, a new mp3 player from Tyler and a new pair of leather gloves from Caleb. I am a little surprised, it seems more logical for them to have waited until after my ascension to give my the presents but, whatever.

Three comes around far too quickly for my liking and we all slowly stand up, like it's finally sinking in that something really big is going to happen, something dangerous. I know it's finally sinking in for me but actually the thought kind of thrills me. I've always been a bit of an adrenalin junkie and this whole thing seems like it's gonna get the adrenalin pumping pretty damn hard, I look forward to that feeling if nothing else. I know I'll get through the rest, they won't let me get addicted.

Reid pulls on his jacket and opens the door of the dorm. That's when the first bolt of power smashes through the window and hits me square in the chest.


	8. Just another family torn

I'm evil. I know. Look, a filler chapter before the real action begins. Mwahaha. The covenant is still not mine.

_Sunday 28th October, 2007_

I shivered, you'd think after nearly a year, we'd be used to the snow by now but still, as my breath condensed in the air before me, I clutched myself tightly against the frigid air. Of course it might have been more down to the way I wasn't wearing nearly enough to protect me from the weather but all I really wanted was a moment to reflect on the last year so I hadn't exactly planned my wardrobe for walking around in the snow.

My footsteps crunch through the fresh layer of morning snow as I walk slowly down the street, the sun's just on the horizon so there's no-one around but I prefer it like that. People always seem like such a crowd. Snow crunches behind me and I smile, strong arms wraps around my waist from behind. "What are you doing out here? You'll freeze to death."

I lean back against his chest. "There are worse ways to die." It was a little morbid but we both knew it was the truth and we'd had more than our fair share of near death experiences.

"Is that why you came out? To reflect on death?" Not life, death.

"And life." There's too much of it, too much life around us, far too much death than I could ever be happy with, but it's not the death that's broken me. I've lost count of the times I've wished for it in the past year. Too many. I've fallen apart more times than I can bear and these strong arms holding me now are the only things holding me together sometimes. As if sensing my thoughts his hold tightens.

I let myself relax into his arms. He relaxes slightly. Our moods are connected, I just never figured out how.

"I'm okay." I tell him.

He puts his chin on my shoulder, "Just okay?"

I can't remember how many times we've covered how I can never be anything more than okay again. Maybe that's a lie, maybe there's hope but most of the time it just feels hopeless. "Yeah."

His lips touch my temple, a comforting movement. "I'm sorry."

I don't know why he does it, apologises for nothing, for things that aren't his fault, for things I can't remember, but he does. "Why?" I ask out of habit.

"It's your birthday and you can't be happy." Can't. Not won't. He knows I'm no more capable of being truly happy than he is of liking snow.

"I'm sorry too." I'd give anything to be happy, but even on my birthday, it just feels like another day that's inevitably going to lead to my death. Maybe more so than every other day because now, I'm a year older.

I've been told I need to snap out of this funk more times than I can be bothered to remember, but it's not a funk, not really. It's a change in my personality.

I hear him sigh, "I'm sorry you have to go in there are pretend." I don't know how he does it but he just says the worst things at the worst times. It's true, I am going to have to go back to the apartment and smile and laugh and pretend to be happy -An art I've perfected- for them. To make them happy, to stop them thinking that every minute I spend awake is a struggle for survival and to hide that every night I live in a world of fear, of pain and blood, a world of my own damned creation.

Before I know it I've let out a sniffle. Dammit. His grip on my waist tightens again, but one of his hands come up and wipes my eyes. "Shh." He's comforting me, I turn and put my head on his shoulder, my forehead against his neck, just breathing slowly until I can get myself under control. He's there, holding me together, holding me up, shielding me from the world, protecting me.

A broken noise escapes my throat before I have myself fully under control. His grip tightens one more and his lips are pressed to the top of my head. "I've got you." He always does. I nod mutely, another couple of deep breaths and I'm under control. I lift my head and straighten up, my eyes meet his, asking a wordless question. "You look fine." He says. Fine is acceptable.

He doesn't like it but he understands my need to pretend I'm happy in front of everyone else. It's to protect them. They already think I'm going to take off in the middle of the night, with good reason but, still, I wish they had more faith in me. I guess that would mean they had more faith in me than I do.

I tend to walk around in a bit of a daze recently, only speak when spoken to, make jokes to keep the atmosphere light and suspicion away from me. I'm a good actor. Like now, I'll walk back in there, spin Kate around with the biggest smile on my face, I'll act properly excited about presents and cake and for the next twelve hours I'll be the center of attention and I won't be able to let my facade slip once. It'll be hard but I know I can do it, if I can't, I'll excuse myself quickly.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" He asks.

"Couldn't sleep."

"I know, I felt you get up."

"Why'd you ask then?" I ask.

"Because normally you stay closer to home." He's got me there, I rarely leave the apartment to do my necessary reflection time but I just felt like it this morning.

"It was too stuffy. Felt like I was suffocating." Just the thought of the cheery attitude, loud talking and too much sugar made me want to walk in the opposite direction, it felt like too much pretending the last year had never happened.

"You promised you wouldn't run away again." If I felt bad before, I feel worse now.

"I'm not running, I'm walking."

"Away?" The hurt in his voice is almost tangible.

I sigh, "Never." I promise and our lips meet, the kiss burning through my broken soul and at least temporarily sealing me back together.


	9. They say that a Hero can save us

I give, I give. Here. Have your action chapter. Covenant is not mine.

CHAPTER RATED M FOR TORTURE.

_Saturday 28th October, 2006_

The bolt racked through my body, I cried out and fell to my knees, I was vaguely aware of the door slamming shut and Reid yelling "What the fuck?" Then the second bolt hit, I cried out again, my head thrown back, it hurt, it hurt so much, arms grabbed my shoulders and hurled me up, holding me up. The next bolt hit both of us and I could just about gasp out "Caleb." Before I was overcome with pain. There was wind swirling around us now, wind and rain and lightning, I was vaguely aware of it as I shuddered through my ascension. I couldn't hold myself up, I couldn't think, couldn't move, it hurt, it hurt so much and then, blissfully, darkness.

It didn't last long, just long enough for Caleb and Reid to haul me to the bed and lay me on it, then I was awake again. There was so much power coursing through my veins, I could feel it, but I was so tired. "What-?" I gasped out.

"Shh. I don't know. It was early." Caleb explained, knowing automatically what I'd been about to ask. He glanced to the door, what if someone had heard? Or seen something, the door had been open when it started, I knew that was what was going through his head. I tried to lift my arm but my limbs were heavy. I don't know how Caleb had done it, gone through this and then had to move and think straight after-wards. I was so wiped."We have to know." Caleb muttered, his gaze still on the door. "Reid and I will go check, Tyler, stay here with Pogue, don't let anyone in." You'd think we were four with the way he said that.

My eyes strayed to Tyler and Reid, they both looked pale and a little frightened, it must have been horrible to watch. They looked reluctant to be apart. "Go together." I whispered to them, "I'll be fine." Caleb looked edgy. "I'm not going anywhere like this." I told him, he didn't look happy but nodded.

They left, I heard Caleb say "You guys check that way, I'll go this way." I closed my eyes and let myself drift. The door opened and I forced my eyes to open. _Shit._ McCoy was standing there, I became all too conscious of my current predicament, the window was smashed, I was going to have to play up this sick thing really well if I was going to get out of this.

"I heard the smashing." He said, I nodded.

The room was trashed, I needed a story. "Reid- got angry, the others took him out for some air."

"Oh." He looked me over, "You don't look so good."

"I don't feel so good." I gave a cough that I hope sounded real. "I was the last to get it. They've all recovered." I remembered our cover story for watching Tyler was that we were all sick.

"We should get you to the med lab."

"No, no, I'm- I'm fine, really." But what could I do?

He'd crossed to the bed, "You need medical attention." He stressed out the syllables and hooked my arm around his neck and lifted me.

"We should wait for- them, they'll wonder-" Someone had to show up soon right?

"I'll tell your friends once I know you're being seen to by a Doctor." He half-dragged me out of the room, I stumbled along beside him feeling a little sick. He put his hand on my shoulder. "I don't think you're gonna make it to the med lab." He confessed, I wondered what he was talking about but a light pressure was put on my shoulder and the world tilted, then went black.

I woke up on a gurney, in a sterile room and for a blissful second I thought that I really was in the med lab, that they'd pronounce nothing was wrong with me and I could go back to the dorm, or that he'd phone Caleb and they were on their way here to sort this whole thing out. Then I realised I couldn't move, Not really, my head lolled a little when I tried but my muscles simply wouldn't contract.

"I gave you a muscle relaxant." McCoy's voice came from behind me, "You were all seized up. I couldn't get you all the way to the across campus med lab so I brought you to the emergency one under the dorms." I hadn't even known that existed. "Most people don't know, but I am a qualified Doctor." There was no way that was true, he was so young. He couldn't have a history degree and a medical degree at this age, he just couldn't. "And It seems to me, Mr. Parry-" -I wanted to shudder at the way he said my name, I knew I'd hated it before, now it was loathsome at best- "-that you're in perfect health. If not a little tired."

"Great." Oh good, my mouth was working, that was a start, "So I can go?"

"Not quite." Well, yeah, 'cause he had to reverse whatever crap he'd stuck in my bloodstream, right? Wrong. "Because I have a confession, I was lying a little when I said I came running when I heard the window smashing. Actually, I saw the window smashing." Oh no. "And then I saw you, being hit by lightning, Mr. Parry. Yet here you are, in perfect health, can you explain that to me please?"

I feigned ignorance, "I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't hit by lightning, no-one could survive that."

"I know what I saw. Don't play me for a fool. I don't like it. How did you survive?"

I didn't like where this was going. "I wasn't- you imagined it- it was a trick of the light, you did not see what you thought you saw." Why was my mind so fuzzy? It was making it hard to think. Did the muscle relaxant work on the brain too?

I froze as his hand wrapped in my hair and he jerked my head off the table. "Tell the truth or I am going to get very angry." He pushed my head down with force, smashing it into the table.

"Ah!" I couldn't help the pained noise that escaped my lips.

"No human could have survived that. What are you?"

"I don't know- what you're talking about." I said again.

He smashed my head against the table again. I bit my lip so hard, it drew blood to keep from making a sound. "What are you?"

I spat some of the blood from my lip at him, "I'm Batman."

He gave me an unamused look as he wiped the blood off his face and casually pushed my head into the table again, it was really hurting now. "Are you a witch Mr. Parry?"

"Witches don't exist." I shot back, too quickly.

"I would have said so too but then I was forced to reconsider after what I've seen today." He turned away and I struggled internally with my muscles. It did nothing. He turned back with a syringe in his hand, "Don't worry about this, it's just a mild sedative, it'll make you sleepy and confused but unable to [ass out, no matter how much you want to."

I shuffled as well as I could away from the syringe but it didn't have any effect and he pressed it into my neck. The effect was nearly instantaneous, my mind clouded, adding to the already fuzzy feeling that had been there. He smiled, I took this as a bad sign. "I'm only going to ask once more, Mr. Parry, before I get really nasty. Are you a witch?"

"Witches. Don't. Exist." I stressed each word as much as I could.

"Are you sure? Because it all fits, your friends, your family past..." Something cold and metal pressed to my arm, I glanced down to see a rather scary looking dagger pressing into the skin on my forearm.

"Very sure." The blade dug into my skin and yet another pained sound escaped. I growled. "When this is over, I'm going to kill you." I announce, not caring who hears me.

He tuts at me, like I'm a four year old who's said a swear word they don't understand. "That's highly unlikely."

I don't know what it is, his calm demeanor annoys me more than anything else. The blade digs into my skin again, scratching a line down my arm and I whimper. He smirks. "Tell me the truth."

I'm in serious danger of giving in to his wishes but then I remember the covenant, the secret that must always be kept, the secret that is more precious than life itself. "You'll have to kill me." I tell him, sounding braver than I feel, "Because I don't know anything."

"I think you're lying." He flips me over and I'm helpless to stop it, my face is pressed into the table, the knife is pressed against my back, cutting into the skin..

'_I'm just a step away, I'm just a breath away, losing my faith today, falling off the edge again.'_

Caleb's ringtone blares from the phone in my pocket.

**Aren't I mean? Leaving it there like that?** **You know you love me. There's much more to come, I promise.**


	10. I need a hero to save me now

**I'm seriously inspired today. Isn't that weird?**

**The Covenant is not mine.**

_Saturday 28th October, 2006_

_Caleb's ringtone blared out of the phone in my pocket._

"Well now, looks like someone's missing you already." I was helpless as McCoy removed the phone from my pocket and looked at it, "Mr Danvers, of course." He didn't answer it, but he didn't cut Caleb off either, probably because that would be too suspicious. He put it down on the side well out of my reach. "Is he a witch too?" I didn't answer, "Of course he is. Mr Garwin and Mr Simms too, one would assume."

Their faces flashed through my mind, reminding me why I was doing this, why I was keeping my mouth shut, for them, even if he killed me.

"Are you just not going to talk at all?" The knife pressed into my back again but didn't pierce the skin, then it was gone. I heard him move and I wished I could see him. Then pain tore through my lefts, my ankles as he slashed through vital muscle. "Don't want you running away now do we?" He asked like he was talking to a child, even though I couldn't move at all and he knew it. "I know something that will get you talking." I didn't like the sound of that. I was flipped back onto my front, banging my already injured head on the table again. I was sure it was bleeding by now. McCoy had turned away from me again. The phone had stopped ringing, probably gone to voicemail, Cay was probably leaving me a very worried message. I wished I could tell him where I was.

Then Wil was back, he pressed electrodes to my chest. "Now, I know you can take electricity, I've seen it but that doesn't mean it won't hurt." _Oh, fuck._ He flicked a switch on a machine next to him and electricity shot through my body, the muscles I had no control over spasmed and I cried out in pain. "Are you a witch?"

I shook my head as best I could and he turned the power up on the machine, sending spasms through me and putting me in even more pain but I bit down on my lip, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream. Another notch, another shock, another almost scream, I was sure my lip was bleeding ten times worse now than it had been when I first bit it. Another flick of the switch and I couldn't hold it back, a scream of pain ripped through me. He smiled. Mother fucking sadistic bastard actually smiled. He turned it off.

"Are you ready to tell me the truth Mr Parry? The pain will stop, I promise." Only it wouldn't because once one person knew they told and then the other people told and then everyone knew and it started a witch hunt.

"Fuck you." I gasped out, my breath having been stolen by the scream and the pain.

"That's not nice." Oh, what the fuck did I care about nice? He turned around again, I was really growing to hate that movement, and produced another syringe. I didn't want to know. "This will increase your sensitivity, so everything will seem much more painful, it will also increase your fear. It's pretty experimental but I have faith that it'll work." Once more I attempted to move away from the needle to no avail. It sank into my skin and the contents was emptied into my bloodstream. I let out a whimper as it reached the places I'd already been cut. It felt like they were on fire. It was all I could do to keep from screaming again.

I couldn't hold back however when he turned the machine back on. "No!" I screamed, my body convulsing, I was sure tears were trackng their way down my face, "Kill me!" I cried, I meant it this time, if it made the pain stop I'd take it. Death would be a blissful release. He turned the machine off and I lay back gasping for breath.

"Tell me the truth."

I pressed my lips together tightly. I wasn't going to tell him, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of breaking me. He gave a sigh but it was bored rather than exasperated or anything close to showing him weakening at all. He flipped me back over, hitting my head hard against the table once more. Blood trickled down my face and I closed my eyes briefly but there was no relief. I didn't pass out like I wanted to, his sedative had done its job. It was making it impossible for me to pass out from an overload of pain. I whimpered. This was never going to end. I was never getting out. My phone rang again.

"Mr Danvers is still very interested in your safety." McCoy commented glancing to the phone but making no move towards it. "Maybe I should kill you." The knife was back, it slid down my arm, not breaking the skin but still pressed hard enough to hurt. "I could get the answer from one of them. Mr Danvers, Mr Garwin, Mr Simms, maybe Miss Tunney?"

"No!" The word left my mouth before I could stop it, "You touch Kate and I'll do worse than fucking kill you." He chuckled.

I had to get out of here, I had to stop him, I had to save them, I had to...I had to get them...make them understand. I needed something, someone to save me, I needed Caleb. I had to- I could- I could Use. Oh god, my powers, I needed to Use them but my mind was so- I couldn't focus. I needed just enough power to hit the callback button on my phone.

Without warning the knife pierced my arm and I let out a cry of pain. _Fuck_. It was like someone shoving a red hot poker into an open wound. I couldn't help it, I screamed again, thrashing my head from side to side. I could move it. Just.

I hit my own head against the table, knocking my hair down to cover my eyes as I summoned every inch of power I could muster to hit the redial button on the phone across the room. The blade pierced my other arm. It was like he'd given up and was just intent on slashing me to ribbons. I screamed, I hopes Caleb had picked up the phone. "CALEB!" I let out a racking sob. "THE BASEMENT! I'M IN THE BASEMENT!" Luck seemed on my side because McCoy just laughed softly.

"Calling for help? Finally, but he can't hear you." That's what he thinks. At least I hope he could hear me. The blade slashed down my back, ripping the skin open and I screamed again, there was no other way to express the pain.

The knife plunged into my back. I screamed, louder than before. "CALEB!" It wasn't intentional this time, but I needed him to hurry the fuck up or I really was going to be dead before he got here. Again and again the blade fell on my arms, even touched my neck once, slashing the back. I was lucky, it missed my artery. Maybe. "KILL ME!" I practically begged.

McCoy laughed, "Eventually." He promised but that wasn't what I wanted, I just wanted this to end and I wanted it now.

The blade slashed across my back again, my throat was hoarse from screaming so it was a broken sound that escaped me this time.

There was a smashing sound as the door was blown of it's hinges. Blood obscured my vision but I was fairly sure it was flew into the far wall and fell down, the figure crossed to him. Two others ran in, Reid and Tyler. Reid ran to Caleb, Tyler ran to me, a fourth figure following him, "NO." It was broken and begging but God, I didn't want Kate to see me like this. It was too late. She'd already seen it. "Baby..." I could only assume she looked horrified.

Tyler was looking over my injuries, I whimpered, "Kill me." I begged, it didn't cross my mind that they could help me, I just wanted the pain to stop.

"Caleb!" Tyler yelled and the two figures came running over, I didn't know what they'd done with McCoy, I couldn't see him, I thrashed, he was coming back, he was going to come back and kill me and then do the same to them. Oh god, we had to get out of here.

"Pogue." Caleb's voice was gentle, it broke my delusions, I looked at him, panting hard. "Sh." His eyes were black. The pain lessened, he was healing me. Once healed he pulled me up, lifted me into his arms. "We have to go." They ran on ahead to make sure no-one was around, Caleb carried me out and up the stairs. At least, I think he did. It was about then that I finally blacked out. Losing myself in the blissful darkness.

**What did you think? I'm so horrible to Pogue. **


	11. You're not the only one

**Here I go again, I get one day off college and you get five chapters...The covenant and its characters are not mine but I'd quite like Pogue if anyone knows where to get hold of one...I think Strife'd agree. We promise not to damage him too much.**

_Saturday 28th October, 2006_ (Reid)

_What, the actual, fuck?_ Was pretty much the only thought going through my head as I turned to witness the smashing window and lightning hitting Pogue square in the chest. My first thought was _Holy shit, he's a goner_, y'know? I mean what else goes through your head when someone gets hit by lightning? But instead it was just his ascension, Caleb shoulda told us stuff like this beforehand. I slammed the door shut as the wind and rain picked up and whirled around the room, upturning everything.

I couldn't tear my eyes from Pogue, he was screaming like he was in agony, Caleb had run to help him, he'd recovered first from the shock of the whole thing. By the time I'd grasped it, it was over. Pogue was not lookin' so good. Cay put him on my bed, can't say I've objected to this once this week. Kinda stopped mattering who had my bed while I was sharin' with Ty.

Speakin' of. My eyes locked with his and we stepped to Pogo's side.

"What-?" He couldn't really focus or somethin'.

Caleb explained it calmly, in his Caleb-y way that usually loses me after the first few words 'cause I just zone out. Which is what happens now. Then He's talking to me and I have to look like I know what he's talking about, fortunately, I think I still look freaked from this whole thing, so he doesn't question my confusion face. I glance at Pogue, then at Tyler, then at Caleb, who wants us to follow him. Ty and I folow like the good little puppies we're supposed to be whenever Caleb issues an order. Ass.

He points us down the corridor and then vanishes, Tyler knows me better than anyone and calmly and quietly-but not in Caleb's boring way, in his own way that's kinda too cute for words-explains that we're looking for possible witnesses. So I walk with him down the corridor but it's as empty as ever. We walk unnecessarily down two flights of stairs before coming to the conclusion that there's no-one around. Tyler's looking a bit peaky, so I wrap his arm around my shoulders and my arm around his waist and help him back up the stairs and back to the dorm. "You shouldn't do so much when you're sick." I tell him.

"'m not sick." He says, even though we're all past believing him. I just give him a look and open the door. Funny, I remember shutting this. Maybe Caleb's back. Only, a glance around tells me, that he's not back and Pogue's no longer here. That cannot be good.

"Where's Pogue?" I ask stupidly, like Tyler would know.

"Guess Cay came back and took him somewhere..." Ty says but he doesn't sound sure. I maneuver him to sit on the bed and walk to the bathroom, just to check, no Pogue or Caleb.

I walk back to Tyler and shrug. I sit next to him. I want to go look for Pogo but I can't really until I know he's not with Cay. I know Ty's itching to go too.

We wait in silence for a moment, I glance at him and he's looking back at me. I open my mouth to speak but no words come out. So I end up pulling my fish face and Ty gives a tiny laugh, which is again, really damn cute. I'm actually kinda glad when Caleb walks in, for the distraction 'cause dammit if I don't just wanna grab Tyler and kiss him senseless. Which is a fuckin' strange thing for me to want because if there is one thing I'm not it's gay.

"Where's Pogue?" Caleb glances to the open bathroom door and then back to us.

"We were kinda hoping you could tell us." I say.

"What?" Caleb does not need to be that demanding but he does anyway.

"He wasn't here when we got back...we hoped you taken him out for some air or something."

"No." There's a pause. "Shit." Caleb pulls out his phone and dials, presumably Pogue's number. We watch anxiously. The seconds tick by, Caleb starts pacing. Then he throws his phone at the pillows on my bed and he's lucky he's a good shot or that mighta hit the wall and smashed. Which may have been what he was going for. I've seen that look before. Caleb actually look murderous. It shouldn't be possible but it is and God help the person that touches Pogue. "No answer." He collects his phone. "Spread out, search the school."

Easier said that done, the campus is fuckin' huge. "Check Sarah and Kate's dorm first." Maybe he was struck with a sudden desire to visit his girlfriend, or maybe she called and told him she had a present for him- that was best case scenario. We all went together, walking down a floor and knocking on the girls dorm door. Sarah answered. "Hey, is Kate there?" I asked before anyone else could say anything.

"Yeah." Sarah nodded, "K, door."

Kate came to the door and looked at us. "Hey...Where's Pogue?"

"He's fine. We came to tell you that he's doing fine."

"Don't avoid the question, Reid, where's Pogue?" Well this was exactly what I'd been trying to avoid.

"Um..we...don't know, exactly."

"What?" Okay, I was fast coming to the conclusion people were way too over protective of Pogue.

"We lost him. We're gonna find him though." She was walking past me, I grabbed her arm, "Kate." She turned and slapped me with rather impressive force.

"Ow." I put my hand to my cheek. She continued to walk away. Caleb shrugged and followed her. "Guess we're going the other way." I told Tyler.

"Are you okay?" He asked. I nodded and inclined my head. We walked down the corridor. We walked down several corridors. This wasn't doing anything. He could be behind any of these doors and we'd never know. We turned a corner and walked straight into Aaron. Literally.

"Watch where you're going, fags." He growled.

I snarled inwardly but ignored it for a moment, "Have you seen Pogue?" I don't know why I was asking him of all people.

"No. Why would I care where your boyfriend is? Probably off fucking Danvers somewhere. It's not my problem what you Fags do in your spare time. Even if it is gross."

Then he was on the floor and I looked down, my hands were still clenched at my sides, then I glanced to the side, Tyler, Ty had punches him in the face. Tyler who never physically fought with anyone. I laughed. "Never call us Fags again." I told Aaron, kicking him in the stomach, maybe it wasn't very sporting of me but I never have been a good sportsman. I kicked him in the groin. There, now I felt better. I grabbed Tyler's wrist and we ran off. "Why'd you do it?" I asked when we stopped running.

"I hate that word." Tyler confessed quietly, his eyes cast down and looking so damn vulnerable.

"That was amazin'." I tell him with a slight grin on my face. The actual problem momentarily gone from my head.

Until we hear Kate frantically calling our names.

Our heads whip around simultaneously and we run towards the sound. "Kate!" I yell back. She meets us at the bottom of the stiars, panting and holding Caleb's phone. "Someone's hurting him!" She holds the phone out. I don't have to question what she means. Pogue is screaming on the other end of the phone. Not down the receiver but in the background. "They're in the basement, Caleb just went after them."

I toss her the phone. "Stay here Kate!" I tell her running for the stairs and throwing myself down them two, maybe three, at a time, Tyler's lighter footsteps behind me. We run into the only room without a door and balk at what we see. I don't think I've ever seen that much blood coming out of a living person before. Caleb's got whoeve-McCoy? unconscious, he looks like he's about to deliver the final blow, I grab his arm, Caleb is a lot of things but he;s not a killer, "He's not worth it. He doesn't deserve death." I tell him. This seems to bring him down and he nods.

"Caleb!" Tyler's yell breaks through my consciousness, Tyler and-when did Kate get here?-Kate are standing by Pogue who is whimpering. I feel sick but Caleb's over there immediately, healing the wounds. He's lost so much blood. I grip Tyler's arm for stability. I don't like blood at the best of times and this is definitely a worst. It's everywhere, all over his body, matting his hair, even trickling out of his mouth. Even though the wounds are gone he still looks awful. Caleb lifts him and I carefully pulls Kate and Tyler back to give him room.

"C'mon, we have to go." He says and I nod and dart ahead, Tyler right behind me, we check the coast is clear and wave him up the stairs each time. Pogue is out by the time we reach his dorm, Cay lays him on the bed.

"We have to get some of that blood off." I say, for my own peace of mind. Caleb nods and collects a cloth, he wipes the blood of Pogue's face and torso. There's not much we can do about the hair. We sit on the floor in silence, just watching while Kate and Caleb work to bring Pogue back to looking presentable. Somewhere along the line Caleb tosses us a blanket and we huddle together under it, curled up. I don't know when I eventually pass out, but, curled into Tyler's side, I do.


	12. It's my life

**Okay, back to Pogue. I promise you there's more to come.**

**The covenant and the characters included herewithin are not mine. Not even Wil. Wil is 'Tyler's. **

_Sunday 29th October, 2006_

_I'm standing in a bathroom, staring at myself in the mirror, only, looking back at me is a rather hollow looking mockery of me, with sunken eyes and a body that's no longer truly there. An invisible hand pushes my head down, pushes me into the sink and holds me under the water that almost certainly hadn't been there two seconds ago. I flails and splash and reach for the plug but I can't find purchase on the smooth, slippery surface and the plug is nowhere in sight. I can't breathe, I'm drowning. The water is turning red, it's blood, it's my blood, filling my vision and my airways as I struggle futilely for breath underwater._

I wake up screaming. Then there's people all over me, telling me to shh, that I'm okay, hands touch me, my arms, my chest and I struggle away, pushing myself as far back as I can get until I hit my head on the wall. I wince and everything comes into focus. Caleb, Kate, Reid and Tyler are all watching me fearfully. My chest heaves as I pant, struggling to get the oxygen that was denied me in my dream, into my lungs. Kate shuffles forwards on the bed and ever so gently reaches for my arm. I let her. She lays her hand on it gently. "Pogue." It's calm and reassuring, even though I can see the fear in her eyes. I pull my knees up to my chest. Yesterday comes back to me in flashes. _Ascending. McCoy. Med lab. Table. Knife. Electricity. Drugs._ It hits me that I can move again and think, the drugs must have worn off.

I feel gross, I probably look it. "I wanna shower." I say quietly. I don't know what else to say to them. So I settle for that. I stand and fall straight back down. Caleb catches my arm.

"I'll help you."

The rush has passed and I shakes my head, "I can do it." I shuffle to the drawers and take out clean clothes and a towel and then move into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. I lean against it and let out a shaky breath. They're talkin' in hushed voices, so I know it's about me. I don't care. I turn the water on and strip down before standing under the spray. I turn the water up, like I could burn away everything that happened. The water runs red and I close my eyes until I'm sure all the blood's gone from my hair. I sink down to the floor of the bathtub and curl up there, letting the water pound against my back.

I loose track of the time I sit like that but there's a knock on the door followed by "Pogue?" From Cay, guess I'm being watched big-time now.

"Five minutes." I tell him and stand up again, quickly washing my hair and then roughly scrubbing all the leftover blood from my body. I steps out of the shower and clean the tub, making sure it's void of blood before I dry and dress and step out. To my surprise Sarah's sitting on the floor. "Hey." I say. Everyone looks at me.

"How are you feeling?" Kate asks, I have to make lights of a bad situation.

"I can move. I'm not tired anymore and I'm no longer covered in my own blood. It's shaping up to be a better day than yesterday." I see in their faces that that wasn't the answer they were expecting.

Sarah looks shocked. I figure they haven't told her yet. "What?" She asks.

"Teacher saw Pogue ascend, kidnapped him, tortured him for information, nearly killed him." Reid summed up, always knowing exactly how to get to the most insensitive bare bones of any subject.

"Oh my god.." Sarah looks at me and I hate it, the sympathy, the 'oh you poor thing' look. I don't meet her eyes. I sit on the edge of my bed.

"It's your bed, you can lie down." Caleb tells me.

"I know." I say. I'm afraid to meet his eyes, in case there's the same sympathy in them. "What did I miss last night anyway?" I ask, casually, like I was at the movies rather than being tortured by a raging psychopath.

"Kate slapped Reid." Caleb offers, as if he can sense my desire to change the subject, I look up, surprised.

Kate looks sheepish, "Sorry Reid." She offers.

He shakes his head "S'cool." Then he pauses and looks at me, "We beat the shit outta Aaron."

"'We'?" I can tell Caleb hasn't heard this story either.

"Tyler punched him in the face."

Now Tyler looks sheepish, "I don't like that word."

"What word?" Cay asks.

"He called us fags." Reid says with the hint of a snarl. I can tell he's not happy about it. "So we beat on him a bit."

"Guy needs to come outta the closet." Tyler mumbles.

"You'd rather have him hitting on you instead?" Caleb says.

At the exact same time that I go, "He's not the only one."

Tyler looks at me, "What?"

I feign innocence "What?"

He frowns and I can sense the pout coming. "Hey."

"What?" I ask, too innocently.

"You implied Caleb's gay."

The reaction is instantaneous, Reid laughs, Caleb shakes his head, Kate smiles and Sarah giggles. I shake my head to "Not quite, Ty."

He frowns again and falls silent, we sit like that for a moment, wondering if there's going to be more of the conversation than this, then "I had a crush on Johnny Depp when I was ten." We all turn to look at Tyler and he shuffles uncomfortable, he hates being the center of attention.

Sarah just shrugged, "Everyone had a crush on Johnny Depp." I can't say I ever did but I don't say this. "Does anyone want something to eat?" To her credit, she knows when it's time to change subject.

"A drink would be nice." I say, I'm not too hungry yet but my throat is dry.

She stands as everyone else murmurs their agreements, "Kate, help me in the kitchen?" They vanish down the hall.

Caleb hits his head against the wall wit a thump, making us all jump. I grab his arm and pull him away. "Cay, don't."

"Quit beatin' yourself up, Man." Tyler tells him.

I nod in agreement, "Please."

Caleb sighs and nods.

"It's not your fault." I just know he's blaming himself for what happened.

"We shouldn't have left you alone five minutes after ascending."

"You were trying to protect us all." I point out, "Trying to protect the covenant, trying to protect me by making sure no-one was there."

"It doesn't take three people to do that." Wow, he's more determined than ever.

"Get hold of yourself. You made a mistake, it happens. I did too, I trusted him. You've gotta live in the present 'cause otherwise when it catches up with you, you're gonna get a real slap in the face." I don't know what else to say now.

"That's twice you've almost died. Once to get to me and once protecting the secret."

"No, I've almost died twice because I attract raging psychopaths like honey attracts flies." It's a feeble attempt to lighten the mood.

Tyler jumps on my side. "You can't win this one Cay."

"And I did piss him off." I confess.

"Protecting us." Caleb's looking through me now, I pulls my eyes away.

"I tried to play it smartass." I have this feeling my batman comment was what sparked the violence.

"He would have hurt you anyway."

"Yeah, but that's not your fault, that's my fault and it has nothing to do with you. That's my point. Stop beating yourself up."

"He never would have taken you if one of us had been there."

"Let. It. Go. Caleb." I stress each syllable. I'm feeling bad enough about this as it is without him blaming himself. Not that he'd stop, he'd just stop showing it and secretly hate himself.

The girls reappeared with food, a fully cooked breakfast that the sight of made my mouth water. I took my plate. "Thanks." I took a long gulp of my drink before I settled down to eat. I caught sigh of Tyler pushing his food around on his plate, "You okay Ty?" I asked.

"I don't feel so good." Oh shit, was he getting sick again? Or was he just feeling bad because of how he'd admitted to his crush on Johnny Depp? I watched him as I ate but he didn't take so much as a bite. Though, in all honesty it was a little difficult for me to keep my food down myself, but I managed it, just.

I don't know what I was hoping for, that it could just be a day like any other? That life would go on and I'd forget about it? Whatever I was hoping, it didn't happen. Tyler pulled his phone out, "'Did you hear? They found a teacher comatose in the basement?.'" He read from the text.

It dawned on me that whatever had happened last night, no-one had gone down to clean up the basement. "Guys. My blood is all over that crime scene."


	13. Confessions

**Covenant is still not mine so don't sue.**

**I'm sorry I'm so mean to Pogue. It's only gonna get worse from here on in I'm afraid.**

**Strife and I are awful to him but we do it out of love.**

_Monday 30th October, 2006_

After my shocking declaration the guys had immediately told me to stay put and gone to clean up the mess that had been made. I only know what I was told but, apparently, the basement was blocked off as a crime scene. They went down anyway and cleaned up all the blood and the rest of the evidence. They even returned my phone to me. Now I was curled up in bed with Kate on my left casually stroking my hair. I didn't mind, it seemed to calm her down.

"I'm sorry." I whispered to her and she gave me the oddest look, like I'd said something ridiculous.

"What for?"

"You shouldn't have to put up with this." I explained quietly. She'd been dragged into our world for something as menial as loving me. She shouldn't have to deal with all this, now she had a pretty broken boyfriend and the threat of constant danger hanging over her head. I don't think it had sunk in yet.

"You're so strange sometimes." She told me, I looked up at her.

"What?"

"You were almost tortured to death and you're worried about me."

Okay, so, she said it like that and it sounded stupid. I gave a sheepish smile and nodded, "Yeah, pretty much."

She shook her head and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my hair. I'd opted not to go to class today but the other boys had gone and I'd told them not to worry about me. Kate had flat out refused to go though. She stayed with me while I pretended to sleep.

I didn't like sleeping. I always had bad dreams now. I think Caleb had clued on to how I wasn't but only because he wasn't either. Actually, I think Reid was the only one getting any sleep at all.

"Sorry(?)" I apologised/questioned, remembering my conversation with Kate.

She shook her head, "Shh, Baby." She said placing another kiss against me hair. I closed my eyes and laid my head on her shoulder.

We stayed like that for some time. She resumed the stroking of my hair.

I loved being with Kate but I was grateful when the boys came back, I hated feeling pressured to talk or sleep, feeling like someone was watching me carefully, waiting for me to slip up and/or slip into some kind of depression. I'd thought about it but then I remembered, he was comatose, he wasn't coming back. Whatever Cay had done to get those drugs out of my system had worked.

So, Caleb, Reid and Tyler piled (there really was no other word for it) through the door and I stopped pretending to sleep and rolled over to look at them. Caleb and Reid were bickering but that wasn't an unusual sight.

"You didn't need to do that."

"Sure I did. He was being a dick."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Reid Used on Aaron." Caleb muttered angrily.

I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face at the thought.

"Pogue! We're not condoning this behaviour."

"Sorry, Mom." Reid muttered, then turned to me, "Dad."

Tyler gave a small laugh, "You two do talk like you're married."

I rubbed my forehead, "At least we don't dress gay." I shot a pointed look at Reid, who hastily unwrapped his scarf from his neck, and then at Tyler who pulled the hood of Reid's jacket up and around his face.

"Now look what you did!" Reid yelled at me, I couldn't tell if he was being serious or joking, it was hard when it came to Tyler. He carefully patted Ty's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Tyty." I slid out of the bed and moved over.

He looked up, "It's okay- It's just-" There was an awkward pause and he shuffled, clearly aware he was the center of attention. "I...am gay."

There was a stunned silence, he shuffled again and then ran from the room.

"Ty!" I made a move to go after him but Reid's hand caught me in the chest and then he turned and ran after his best friend. I glanced to Caleb, who ran a hand through his hair.

"They need to be alone." It didn't stop me wanting to go after them. I think he saw it because he nodded his head towards the door, I darted out and walked downstairs. I located them in the community kitchen. Reid was standing in the doorway so I stopped halfway up the corridor and watched and listened.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Oh, that's a really smart question Reid. No answer so I assume Ty shrugged him off. "Because you'd thought we'd react badly." Reid answered for him. More silence. Reid vanished from the doorway and I shuffled down the too peer into the kitchen. Tyler was pretty much backed into a corner by the sink and for a crazy second I thought of intervening, of telling Reid to back off him and that it wasn't anything bad but I caught a glimpse of his face in the window. His expression was soft, he pulled Tyler into a hug that looked awfully gentle. "We'll always love you no matter what, you're our little brother." No. Reid. He's more than that. Say it. Don't be a coward. "I'm actually glad." Tyler's look of surprise mirrored my own. I hadn't expected him to listen to my silent pleas. Not that he could hear them. "Because all I've been thinking about all damn week is whether or not you'd hate me if I kissed you."

Okay. I was good with this but that I didn't want to see. I looked away, but I didn't stop listening. "Why would I hate you?" Tyler asked quietly.

"Why wouldn't you?" I'd honestly had no idea that the ever brash and confident Reid could be so insecure. Tyler honestly brought out the best in him and I could see this relationship working out. Hopefully.

"I could never hate you." I chanced a glance, they hadn't moved, Reid's arms were still cautiously wrapped around Tyler and Ty was looking up at him. It was freaking cute if a little weird.

"I wish you'd told me that before." There was Reid, a joke to brush of something he couldn't handle emotionally. "And- I didn't want to fuck up what we have, you're the only friend I've got." Hey, that wasn't true.

"That's not true." Wow. Way to voice my thoughts Tyler. Was I psychic or something? "Caleb and Pogue care about you." Damn right.

"Then you're the best damn friend I've ever had and I didn't want to fuck that up." He meant it too. Tyler was not a conquest, not a one night stand, Tyler was Tyler and if one person could change Reid's view on relationships it would be Tyler. They had this under control, I slipped away and went back to Caleb and Kate and gave a slight grin and a nod. They knew, Caleb half-smiled and Kate cracked a grin.

"Finally." I said. Caleb chuckled softly. I said it again as Reid and Tyler walked back in, Tyler looked sheepish, Reid grinned and shoved my arm.

"Shuddup." Ty sat on the floor and Reid sat on his lap. Kate took a photo on her phone. We all looked at her.

"I'm telling Raegen." Tyler made a noise. Raegen was his adopted sister, I'd never met her but I'd heard she was a bitch. Reid shushed Tyler gently and KAte clicked a few buttons on her phone.

"Don't leave us hanging when she texts back." I tell her and she nods, smiling brightly, more than I'd seen in the last three days.

Her phone buzzes, She giggles, "'She says, 'Don't insult him like that.'" I look at her, confused, "She thinks we photoshopped it." I glance to Reid and Tyler, you'd have to be a real genius with photoshop to do something like that. Kate points her phone at them again.

"Another photo won't make her believe you." I say.

She shakes her head, "Give a wave boys, you're on camera." Then I get it, she's videoing them. Reid turns and waves then rests his head on Tyler's shoulder, Tyler tries to hide. Kate sends the video. I shake my head. Raegen would believe us now. Another buzz, that was faster than I expected. "She's sent a load of periods then 'Oh my god, what happened?'" I chuckle. K texts back but I don't know what, another reply. Geez, Raegen's a fast texter. "She says she'll call you tomorrow Tyler." Ty groans.

Reid looks confused, "What is it?"

"'I'll call you' mean 'I'm going to shout at you and you're going to listen.'" Tyler explains, shrinking furthur into Reid's hoodie.

"I'm sorry Baby boy."

"Don't be." Ty smiles and it's a real smile, it looks good after all the weak ones we've been getting recently. At least Reid's made him happy.

"We're obligated to tell you if you fuck with Tyler we are going to kill you, Reid. Brotherhood or not." Reid nods and it's not his usual 'yeah, yeah, whatever' it's a serious 'I'll try my best not to' nod. God this is weird. But then again what this week has been normal? Not to mention halloween tomorrow. There was a party going on, that was going to be fun. Shit. I didn't have my costume yet. "What are you guys being tomorrow?" I assume we have to attend the party, mainly because Sarah's the head of the committee and we have to at least be respectful of her, not to mention people will think it's weird if we're not there.

"It's a surprise." It's surprising enough to head Caleb uttering those words. He's never denied us before.

"I don't know." Tyler says with a shrug, dislodging Reid's head, Reid looks up.

"Me either."

"You'll see." Kate tells me kissing my nose, making me scrunch it up, she giggles. "I have to talk to Keiko."

She stands up suddenly and I blink, "Okay."

"Don't worry Reid, Tyler, we'll get you something sorted." She says brightly.

"That thought scares me more than if I wasn't dressing up at all."

"Pssh." She waves him off and kisses my chek, "I'll be back later." She walks out, presumably to go and talk to Keiko, the school's current design tech genius.

"You know, they're gonna convert her eventually." I throw a pillow at Reid. Keiko's one of the few 'out' lesbians in school.

"Then the theory would follow that spending time with you would convert us." I point out.

"You don't need converting." He shoots back, I roll my eyes. "Whatever, Reid."

"You really are getting slow on those comebacks Pogo." I flip him off and everything feels normal again. It's a nice feeling.


	14. All Hallows Eve

**The Covenant is not mine, nor are any of the shows the costumes are from. Okay, so most of the characters in this chapter are OCs, most of them are girls, not because the boys are attracted to them but because there's way more girls in our RP universe than boys. They're not Mary Sues and few of them are ever going to be mentioned again, so ignore the little plot device people please. Oh, right and None of the costumes mentioned are mine either.  
**

_Tuesday 31st October, 2006_

"What are those?" Reid's tone almost made me laugh out loud as Kate presented him with his 'costume'.

"It's all we could come up with at such short notice." Kate explained with an innocent smile that said to me that it wasn't about that all but more about a) The irony of the thing and b) because it was hilarious.

"I'm gonna go help Sarah set up." Caleb excused himself, I could see the smile on his face though as he walked past me. I also assume he was going to get changed into his costume, which he was still keeping a secret.

"I'm not wearing this!" Reid objected, I hit him upside the head lightly.

"Stop being ungrateful. Go get changed so I can." I'd finally decided on my own costume. I'd taken a look through my wardrobe and decided I could pull off Van Helsing.

Reid looked sulky but he took the black bundle from Kate and skulked out of the room, Tyler took his own and pouted as Kate stopped him and puled out an eyeliner pen, drawing on his head before he ran after Reid.

"She attacked me with make-up." I heard him say.

"I can see that."

"I feel abused." I laughed softly. Kate grinned at me and blew me a kiss as she left. she hadn't told me what she was wearing either. I felt seriously out of the loop.

I pulled on my costume anyway, adding a leather trench-coat and a hate. It was weird that I had this clothing but no-one would know. I needed a weapon of some kind. I glanced around quickly and conjoured up a crossbow. I shouldn't have done it but again, no-one needed to know. It wasn't that powerful so no-one would be able to feel it. I tucked it under my coat but in full view. Hopefully people would assume it was fake. I looked at the clock, still had an hour to go. I paced. This was the first time I'd been alone since Saturday.

Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed a book off my shelf. I say book, I mean motorbike magazine and settled down to read.

Thankfully, time seemed to pass faster after that and an hour later I was walking downstairs to meet up with everyone. Reid and Tyler were standing in the corner. I looked around the room, Caleb and Sarah had really outdone themselves on this, I'd expected cheesy banners and paper lanterns but instead there were candles everywhere, lots of pumpkins and gory decorations. Arms coming from the walls and floor, bloody hand-prints on the windows, even the door looked like something huge and clawed had crawled through it. One thing it was not, was cheesy. I walked over to Tyler and Reid batting a noose out of my way as it fell in my face. "Could they have made it creepier?" I ask.

Reid shakes his head, "No, I don't think they could." I looked around, Cloud Strife was sitting with Magenta from Rocky Horror. People had seriously outdone themselves on their costumes. Proved by the fact that Sarah bounced over dressed as Tinkerbell with apparently functional wings, she wasn't flying but they were flapping.

"Very nice." I tell her, gesturing around the room. She nods and smiles brightly.

"Thanks. Hey, I'll be back later, kay? Ooh, here comes Caleb. I gotta change the music." She flits off, almost as if she could fly and for one delusional second I imagine her as an actually fairy. Then I shake my head and look for Caleb, the music shifts to a weirdly familiar piano piece and when I catch sight of Caleb I figure out why. He's glaring at Sarah, at least, half on his face is, I can't see the other side. He's dressed as the phantom of the opera. Reid laughs, I hit his arm.

"You're one to talk Malfoy." I hiss playfully and he glares at me. Caleb makes his way over to us. "I like it." I tell him.

"Pogue's into roleplay, who knew." I smack Reid again and get a punch on my own arm from Tyler in return.

"Ow." I say, even though it didn't really hurt. Aaron walks in with Kira, He looks at and sniggers, I roll my eyes and smile at the bruises around his eyes. Reid Used on him, no-one told me he'd broken his nose. I turn and give said blond a high five our last little argument forgotten. Kate follows him in, she's Bastet, the cat goddess, next to her are...Zelda and Sheik(?). I realise quickly that It's Keiko and Rebecca, they've died their hair purple. Kate bounces over to us and smiles. "You look gorgeous." I tell her. She kisses me and I return it happily.

"You look amazing."

"Where've you been?" I ask curiously.

"We had to help Fiona with her hair." Fiona, most of us call her River because she reminds us a lot of the Firefly character, and her last name is Rivera.

"Why? Where is she?" If it took three of them to do it, this I have to see.

"She's waiting for Mason." Mason's River's boyfriend, They're the Whedon-verse couple of Spenser, we call him Oz. I never figured out why. Then I see them and I remember. He's copied Oz's halloween costume, He's wearing a name tag that says 'I am God.' Fiona on the other hand, is wearing a big dress. Her hair is done up in pins, I don't know who she's meant to be but it's not from this century I'm sure. They wave to us and then vanish into the crowd. Everyone here knows us, so in turn, we have to know them.

Then Sarah's back, "Check out the new girl." She whispers, like it's some big secret. I glance at her, she's dressed similarly to River, only her dress is a little more white and the diamante flowers in hair give her away.

"Is she-?"

"Christine." Sarah answers before I can even say it.

"What's her name?" Reid asks, Sarah shrugs. As we watch Aaron approaches her but she sends him away with a flea in his ear back to an angry looking Kira. I can't help but smile, he's in huge trouble. Kira's a little possessive and no matter how many 'I was only being friendly' pleas he gives, she knows what we do, that he was looking for someone new to sleep with. "She's got taste anyway." Reid mutters and we all crack up. We watch for a few minutes more.

"Dance with me Kate?" I ask, she nods and takes my hand, we walk out. The music is a little waltz-y and I remember I can't dance but Kate takes me and gently leads me. I hope no-one can tell. We're not the only couple dancing. Riley-something or other from my math class is dancing with his girlfriend. Was there some kind of memo we didn't get about all the girls having to dress from a different era? I shrug it off. We dance for a while then walk back to Reid and Tyler. "You turning them away yet boys?" I joke.

Reid laughs "Oh yeah, they're not quite up to our standards." I laugh. Reid cuts me off by raising his voice "Oi, just an announcement!" Oh dear. This was never going to end well, I try to subtly shuffle Kate away. "Anyone else that thinks they can get this, or this" He gestures to himself, then to Tyler, "has another thing coming." What he does next is expected by pretty much only me I think, he turns Tyler to him and kisses him, in full view of the hall. I look up as the door slams open, Aaron and Kira have made a hasty exit and that brings another smile to my face.

"Show's over folks." I announce to the gawping crowd as I pull Reid and Tyler apart."Way to come out." I tell him.

"Yeah, you want tips?"

"Can we go ten minutes without making a 'Pogue is gay' joke please?" I ask. Reid shakes his head. The hall is buzzing now and random people are congratulating them, I see Kei and Rebecca at the front of the queue to congratulate them. Well, yeah, it makes sense. They're both 'out' but not with each other. I realise I haven't seen Becca's girlfriend yet tonight and I know Lucy, Keiko's girlfriend, isn't coming. She's seriously antisocial and shy.

"Where's LeeLee?" I ask Rebecca as she passes, she shrugs. I don't know why I'm asking, I'm kind of glad she's not here, Emilie hates me. Maybe that's why I know she's not here, no-one's sabotaged me yet. I look around again, Sarah's dancing with a guy dressed as Peter Pan. I think it's Nathan from my psychology class, actually, I'm sure it is. I didn't know they were dating. Seeing Sarah with him makes me look around for Caleb, He's talking to River and Mason, the new girl's with them. Looking back I see Reid and Tyler are glued together again, I give up trying to separate them and walked over.

"This is Demi." I hear Mason say, Oh yeah, the monotone, that's also why we call him Oz. He is just Oz without the werewolf thing, even looks like him, kind of.

"Hey." I greet all four of them at once.

"Hey." Caleb greets.

"Hell-o." Fiona has this way of drawing out syllables.

"Hi." Mason's never one to say more than he has to.

"Hello." Demi has some kind of accent but I can't place it.

"Pogue Parry." I introduce myself to her not wanting to seem rude considering I only came over here to talk to Cay.

"Demi Lapin." That sounds like a french name but that certainly isn't what her accent is.

"Nice to meet you." I turn to Caleb, "I can't pull them apart."

Caleb looks over behind me and sighs. "I'll come help. Sorry." We give a slight wave and walk back to Reid and Tyler. Caleb motions throwing something over them and we all give him a funny look. "It's your invisibility cloak, Harry." He addresses Tyler. "Either break it up or take it outside." I chuckle. Reid pulls a face and sticks his tongue out. I shake my head, it was gonna be a long night.


	15. Notsobloody murder

**How mad are you on a scale of 1-10? I'm sorry I haven't updated, I've had the shittiest writer's block. -le sigh- But I'm back now, even if the chapter does kinda suck.**

**Covenant is not mine.**

_Wednesday 1st November, 2006_

Something was off. I could sense it as Caleb crossed to the poolside, his face grave. Okay, so his face is always grave but this was worse than normal. Reid pulled himself out of the pool and came to stand with us. Caleb leaned in, "McCoy's dead."

"What?" Reid's voice pretty much let out what I was thinking. What I was feeling was another matter was surprise, horror, confusion but also elation. A relief of some kind of hold I didn't know he'd had over me.

"Good." I couldn't help myself, I had to say it. It _was _good. He deserved to die. I just regretted it hadn't been me to do it.

"I suffocated him." Okay, that was not what I'd expected.

Stunned silence. We all knew that Caleb would do whatever it took to protect his family but this was something no-one could envision him doing.

"Okay, I'm supposed to be the one that does stupid, rash things." Reid piped up, "Not you. So who are you and what have you done with Caleb?"

I couldn't help thinking that poolside, in the open, wasn't the best place to be having this conversation.

"Let it go Reid. Later." I told him, he stared at me like I'd grown another head.

"Who died and made you Caleb?" He was in a mood. Well. Crap. I just glared at him. "Oh god, you've swapped bodies haven't you?"

"No!" We say at the same time.

"Is that even possible?" I continue.

"We wouldn't Use for something so stupid anyway." Caleb muttered, his eyes on the pool and not on Reid.

"Doesn't sound like such a bad idea..." Reid wondered aloud, Caleb glared at him, I wondered if he did it just to provoke him sometimes.

"Reid." A low almost-growl. Caleb stared at him.

"Leave him alone." Tyler said, taking a protective step in front of him as if that could protect him from the downright pissed looks Caleb was shooting him.

"Tyler, we have to talk about this sometime." Caleb said, "Reid has a problem."

"No I don't!" Reid exclaimed.

I shoot a look around, "Not _here_ guys." I tell them, an almost begging edge to my voice.

Caleb growled softly and nodded. Reid looked like he wanted to argue. Cay grabbed his arm and maneuvered him towards the locker, "We were ill." He told Tyler and me.

Tyler looked at me with worried eyes and stepped forward with clear intention of following them. I touched his arm, "They'll be fine. C'mon, I'll race ya." I point to the pool, it's a shitty attempt at distracting him and he agrees but I can see it in his eyes that he hasn't subjected. He's still worried as hell and I know the feeling, I wanna rush after them too, we rarely ever let Reid and Caleb fight it out on their own. It could end in serious injury, I have to trust Caleb'll know when to bring it to a stop after Reid's vented his anger.

I sigh and climb into the pool, Tyler into the lane next to me. "breast stroke?" I ask. It's Tyler's swim and my purpose in suggesting it is to give him practice and a better chance at winning than if it was butterfly, anything to uplift Tyler's spirits right not is good. He nods wordlessly. "Three, two, one" I say and at that we push ourselves off and we swim back and forth. Tyler pulls ahead easily and I'm okay with that, my usually competitive nature subdued. I lose myself in thought as I swim, it's over, he's dead, he's never coming back, I never have to deal with that again. As we stop a smile crosses my face and I see Tyler smile back. I climb out of the pool and grab a towel. Tyler does the same.

We head into the changing rooms and shower and change hurriedly without another word. It's not exactly needed. We both know the only thing on out minds is finding Reid and Caleb and making sure they're both okay. We scour the campus, we phone them, we try the rooms but there's no sign of them anywhere. Caleb's car is gone though which leads me to wonder if this whole thing wasn't some sort of excuse for them to go do something alone, something dangerous or against the law.

Tyler looks worried as he looks around again as if they might appear from somewhere, it's getting dark and there's still no sign. "C'mon Ty." I say, my voice calmer than my thoughts, "We'll go back to the dorm, they'll call or come to us or something." I sound braver than I feel and I gently usher Tyler back to my dorm where we, again, sit in silence. He stares out of the window, I watch the clock and occasionally try calling again.

Kate arrives with dinner for us and is shocked to find only Ty and I in the room, I explain quietly so as not to freak Tyler out by going over it again. She seems to understand but looks understandably freaked at 'Caleb's a murderer'. Who wouldn't? She settles next to me on my bed and joins in our silence, it's a little more comforting with her there, at least for me.

There's a noise from the hall and we glance at each other, it's the sound of voices, quiet voices but unmistakeably Reid and Caleb's. Then a female voice. I jump to the door and peer through the eye-hole, I can't see anything which means they're just not standing directly in front of my door. Bummer, I wanted to spy on them. I open the door a crack. They're talking to that Demi girl from Halloween. I feel Tyler's eye's on my back waiting to be filled in.

I turn to look back at him and shrug, "They're out there, they're talking to the new girl."

Tyler stares at me for a second, "They blow us off and don't call us for hours to spend time with some girl?" He asks, his voice strained.

"I don't know. Maybe they only just met up with her." Maybe I'm making excuses for them.

We wait another two minutes before they actually walk in. We stare at them expectantly. "Sorry guys, we got caught up."

"Doing what?" I ask.

"We fought, then we talked, then we walked."

"'You walked'?" I repeat in disbelief.

"Yeah." Okay, it's official, they're hiding something from us. I glance to Kate and then to Tyler and shrug.

"Okay." If they don't want to tell us, they don't want to tell us.

Reid kisses Tyler's forehead then sits at my desk and opens up my laptop "I'm using this."

No 'Do you mind?' or 'can I?' That's not how Reid works. I just nod and lie back on my bed, Kate curls into my side. Caleb sits on the end of the bed. Which is a refreshing change from him sitting in the corner all the time. I have to give a small smile at that. "Hi, Caleb."

"Hey, Pogue." He looks like he's humouring me and he really doesn't want to talk. I take this hint and relax back, holding Kate gently. She rests her head on my chest, I stroke her hair without really thinking about it, staring at the ceiling until my eyes close and I drift off to the sound of Reid typing frantically, I wonder briefly what he's writing. Then the typing slows to a steady rhythm and turns into the beeping of a heart monitor. I open my eyes again, I'm in the hospital, I breath in that awful disinfectant smell. I recognise the scene. It's the moment I woke up in the hospital after Caleb's birthday. It's nighttime, all is quiet save the beeping of the machines. Caleb is sitting next to me, wait, that never happened. This should be the moment that I wake up screaming and Kate walks in, isn't it?

Caleb doesn't seem to have registered that I'm awake, he's still watching me with a furrowed brow. The door opens and I look up expecting Kate but what I see scares me, it's not Kate, it's Chase, Caleb looks at him and gives a smile, a smile I've never seen him wear before and for some reason it chills me. I struggle back in the bed, pressing myself as far away from Chase as possible but he just shakes his head at my actions and walks to my bedside.

His hand flies out and he's holding my nose and mouth at once, I can't breathe, I struggle but his power is washing over me, Caleb's eyes are black too but he's certainly not trying to help me. I flail, trying to inhale more and more air as my heart beats faster as I get more stressed but I can't, I can't breathe. Caleb's hand brushes through my hair, "Shh, it'll all be over soon." He mutters soothingly. I try to jerk my head away, nothing happens, I fade into blackness.

I jolt upwards, forcing my eyes open, dislodging Kate from my chest, breathing fast, sucking in lungfuls of air as though I really have been oxygen deprived. It takes my brain a few moments to register I'm awake so when Caleb's hand reaches for me I shy away quickly. He looks at me, worry flitting across his face. I realise this is the real Caleb and not the dream. I allow myself to relax slightly."Just a bad dream." I explain to the eight eyes that are watching me.

"It's okay, it's over." Caleb tells me, I can see he's still a little freaked out by my refusing to let him touch me, I've never pushed him away before but he's getting over it, he knows I was still in post-dream haze, right?

His words bring an echo back into my head. _It'll all be over soon._


End file.
